Combat (Part 2) Offense

Posted on by Dungeon Master

or 
EN GARDE​!

Ok so what happens on your Turn?

You can Move and take one Action – both are optional.
There are also Free Actions, which can be done while you Move and/or take an Action.

Movement

Pretty simple, you can Move before and/or after you take an Action — or decide not to Move at all. You CAN split your Movement on either side of an Action (e.g. Move a small amount, take an Action, Move another small amount).

The total distance you can Move in a Turn is determined by your Speed on your character sheet. There are different ways that Movement can be hindered by terrain or circumstances, in which case it costs more of your Speed to move through those areas. Typically, something like rocky terrain or somewhat deep water would make you spend twice as much Speed as flat terrain.

If an Action permits multiple attacks, you can Move in between attacks (as long as you still have some Speed to spare).

A Move can include complicated maneuvers, you just may have to make a few rolls if you decide to jump onto a rock, bound off it to another rock, bound off that to a forward flip, and overhand slice into an enemy’s head.


Actions

Essentially, if you take an Action, you can do anything that could be accomplished in 6 seconds or less.

First, let’s start with the Free Actions. Free Actions can be done while you are doing the other stuff on your Turn.

  • Manipulating ONE object in a VERY basic way*
    • Draw or sheath a single weapon**
    • Transfer an item from one hand to the other
    • Load a crossbow
    • Retrieve or put away a stored item*** 
    • Pick up an item
    • Move an object
    • Open a chest
    • Open a door

* Doing more than one of these things requires the use of a full Action

** Unless you are a Dual Wielder; then you can draw 2 one-handed weapons as a Free Action

*** As long as it was set up for easy access – if you have to dig for it, it MAY require a full Action – this will be decided on a case-by-case basis

  • Doing things that take little or no time and don’t interfere with your movement. There are limits to how much you can do each of these in a single Turn, but we can just use common sense. Some examples:
    • Drawing ammunition for a ranged weapon (e.g. arrows)
    • Drawing a thrown item (e.g. shuriken)
    • Dropping an item to your feet or within 5 feet of your current location
    • Dropping to a prone position^
    • Speaking^^

^ Getting up from Prone takes HALF of your TOTAL Speed (not what’s remaining – your TOTAL Speed)

^^ You can speak when it’s not your Turn as well – that’s totally Free.


Non-Free Actions

  • Attack
    • Melee or Ranged Attack. Some Attack Actions give you more than one Attack
  • Casting
    • You can Cast any Spell (that you are capable of casting) with a Casting time of one Action
    • Casting Components:
      • Retrieving the required material (M) component from a pocket or pouch is included in the “Cast” Action.
      • If the spell also has a somatic (S) component, you can perform the required hand gestures while holding the material component in that same hand.
      • Therefore, if you are holding two weapons, or a weapon and a shield, at the beginning of your turn, you can sheath one weapon and then still draw the material component AND Cast the Spell all in the same round.
      • Also, a material component is NOT consumed with the Casting of the Spell, unless the Spell description specifically says that it is.
  • Dash
    • Basically a double-Move Action. You get to Move TWICE your Speed
  • Disengage
    • If you start a Round within 5 feet of an opponent that can see you, you can use this Action to move away from him without provoking an Opportunity Attack (more on Opportunity Attacks in a bit)
  • Dodge
    • Until the start of your next Turn, any Attack roll made against you has Disadvantage if you can see the attacker — AND you make Dexterity saving throws with advantage
  • Help
    • Help an ally with an Attack within 5 ft of you — you don’t actually Attack, but the person you Help gets Advantage on their first Attack.
    • OR Help an ally with some other Action. If it seems reasonable that your Help would actually provide assistance, they will get Advantage when they attempt to do that Action.
  • Hide/Stealth
    • Make a Dexterity (Stealth) check to see if you successfully Hide from your opponents. You must not be seen while attempting to Hide. You can be in line-of-sight, but they cannot be looking at you.
    • When you make this roll, write down the value + any mods.
    • This value must beat the opponent’s Passive Perception Score (in this new rule set, it’s like an AC against hidden things)
    • Any Attacks that try to hit you if you are Hidden are done at Disadvantage
    • Any Attacks you make while Hidden are done with Advantage
    • If you Attack, you are no longer Hidden after the attempt
  • Ready
    • Rather than taking an Action during your turn, you wait for some SPECIFIC event and then take your Action as a Reaction:
  • Triggering Event
  • Action to be Taken
  • Triggering Event: Anything you think might happen that you can observe. If the event occurs before the start of your Turn on the next Round you can perform your Readied Action at that time.
    • Examples:
    • “if the sniper sticks his head up”
    • “if more Orcs come around the corner”
    • “if the rope breaks”
    • “if the water level rises”
    • “if the evil magic user starts to cast a spell”
    • “if the guard spots the thief”
    • “if the prisoner attempts to escape”
  • Action to be Taken: Any of the combat Actions, but it is taken as a Reaction — this means that you will not get another Reaction besides this Readied Action. Likewise, if you take another Reaction before your Readied Action, you lose that Readied Action.
  • A few other notes:
    • You can always choose NOT to go through with a Readied Action when the time comes
    • Dash as a Readied Action: you can move only up to your Speed (not twice your Speed)
    • Cast a Spell as a Readied Action: you actually Cast the spell during your Turn but hold off on releasing the energy of the Spell until the Triggering Event occurs. You must Concentrate to hold the Spell’s energy. Anything that breaks your Concentration before the final release of the Spell’s energy results in the loss of the Spell. If the Triggering Event doesn’t occur this Round, you can continue to hold the Spell with continued Concentration into the following Round, or you can Cast it as an Action on your next Turn — or you decide to cancel it.
  • Search
    • Attempt to find something. The DM might require you to make a Wisdom (Perception) check or an Intelligence (Investigation) check.
  • Use an Object
    • An object may require an Action for you to use it, or you may need to use this Action to interact with more than one object in a round.
  • Improvised Action

There are many more things that a combatant could do during a round than can be accounted for in the above actions. ​When you want to attempt something that is not covered by any of the above actions, you can use an improvised action.

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