CombatRule

7.12.2021

When social interaction fails, the swords come out. Combati is the simplest way to resolve an issue, and an important part of all D&D games.

If you don't like the Flowing Initiative system represented herein, you can use the Chunked Initiative variant, or standard 5e rules.

The Structure of Combat

At the start of battle, much like 5e, everyone rolls for Initiative. Combat is structured round-by-round. A round consists of two phases:

Declaration Phase

Everyone - starting with the belligerent with the lowest initiative - declares what they want to do. For example, one character may decide to jump atop a table. Once they have declared what their action and movement will be, they are locked in performing this action that round.

Then, the belligerent with the next-highest Initiative declares their own action, which may be geared directly against already-declared performances. For example, an orc with higher Initiative might decide to flip the table as the character jumps atop it.

Performance Phase

Once all performances have been announced from bottom to top, all declared performances happen simultaneously; as the character jumps on the table, the orc flips it. One must make a Strength check, the other a Dexterity saving throw or land prone.

Sometimes, however, it is necessary to know when a weapon lands first, or who reaches an object first from an equal distance. In such a case, it is always the belligerent with the higher Initiative who wins.