Running Combat Encounters in D&D and other TTRPGs

Navigating the darkness, one battle at a time.

Running combat encounters is pivotal in tabletop role-playing games (TTRPGs) to provide excitement, tension, and strategy. As a new Game Master (GM), learning to run these encounters efficiently and engagingly can enhance your game. This guide covers essential concepts to help you create dynamic battles, leading to a deeper dive into grid-based or theater-of-the-mind combat.

Know your game system

Before running combat, take time to familiarize yourself with your TTRPG's combat rules, including actions, initiative, and damage mechanics. Different systems have varying levels of complexity, so knowing these mechanics inside and out will help you run encounters smoothly and handle player questions confidently.

Prepare your combat encounters

Preparation is crucial for effective combat. Consider the following:

• Challenge Level: Not all encounters need to be balanced to the party's abilities, especially in some horror TTRPGs that encourage imbalanced scenarios. However, encounters should match the intended difficulty: an easy encounter shouldn't threaten a party wipe, while an impossible one shouldn't leave the party standing victorious. Focus on creating the expected challenge level to match the narrative.

• Setting and Theme: Craft a compelling environment for your battles. Whether it’s a shadowy forest, a crumbling ruin, or a bustling market square, the setting significantly impacts player engagement and tactical options.

• Enemy Types: Choose enemies that complement the players' abilities and the encounter's theme. Mix different types, such as melee fighters, spellcasters, and ranged attackers, to keep combat interesting.

• Enemy Numbers: Managing too many monsters can overwhelm a new GM, leading to slower turns and missed tactical opportunities. Start with a smaller number of enemies—there’s no magic number, but aim to keep it manageable. As you grow more comfortable, gradually increase the count for more dynamic battles.

Prioritize pacing

Combat can drag if players hesitate or complex rules slow things down. Here’s how to keep the pace brisk:

• Use a Timer: A physical timer isn’t necessary, but setting a rough time limit for turns can add urgency and immersion. While it may not always be popular, it mirrors the stress of real combat where decisions must be made quickly. Tailor the time based on your TTRPG system’s complexity, and weigh the pros and cons before implementing this tool.

• Encourage Preparation: Remind players to think about their actions during others' turns to minimize downtime.

• Simplify Rules: If players struggle with complex rules, simplify them temporarily to maintain the encounter's flow. You can revisit detailed mechanics after the battle.

Create dynamic environments

Whether you use grids or rely on imagination, introduce varied environments with obstacles, hazards, and interactive elements. This adds strategic depth to the encounter, giving players more choices than just attacking.

Choose Your Style: Grid-Based or Theater-of-the-Mind?

Your combat style will shape the experience. If you prefer tactical, clear visuals, explore grid-based combat on the article "Mastering map-based combat". If you enjoy a more narrative-driven approach, dive into theater-of-the-mind combat, check out the other post.

Voices from the other Side

The videos below provide a few general recommendations from experienced GMs:

Bob World Builder shares tactics for improving combat, emphasizing streamlined mechanics, visual aids, teamwork, and quick decision-making to keep encounters fast-paced, dynamic, and engaging, minimizing downtime for an enjoyable and accessible gameplay experience.

Ginny Di suggests enhancing combat with dynamic maps, motivated opponents, strategic enemy tactics, and added pressure through time limits and narrative elements to create more engaging and exciting encounters. These strategies keep players immersed and challenge their decision-making.

The DM Lair offers 10 strategies to enhance combat, including vivid descriptions, monster dialogue, damage adjustment, special abilities, spellcasting and creative setups. These tactics add tension, dynamic encounters, and varied objectives to keep players engaged.

In this other video, he suggests enhancing combat with flanking, effective action economy, terrain utilization, and team coordination. These tactics encourage strategic positioning, maximize actions, and promote teamwork for more dynamic and engaging battles.

The Dungeon Dudes suggest enhancing combat with action economy, environmental interaction, strategic monster tactics, and dynamic objectives. These encourage players to think strategically, creating more engaging encounters beyond simple enemy defeat.

The Dungeon Masterpiece suggests combat tactics inspired by real battles, including terrain utilization, melee engagement tactics, and dynamic battle-field control with spellcasters. These strategies create strategic, ever-changing challenges, enhancing player engagement during encounters.

Professor Dungeon Master compares the merits of theater of the mind and terrain, discussing how each enhances imagination, storytelling, and tactics, while emphasizing clear communication of the environment to create an engaging experience tailored to the DM and players' preferences.

Crucibles to try out when you run a combat encounter

1. Prepare and run mock encounters: Design 3 combat scenarios with different challenge levels: easy, medium, and hard. Use your regular group or friends to run these scenarios in quick succession. After each encounter, discuss what felt balanced or overwhelming and how the setting influenced tactics.

2. Create engaging environments: Craft a visually stimulating combat environment by incorporating various terrain types, obstacles, and interactive elements. Use props, drawings, or a digital tool to illustrate this setting. During the encounter, encourage players to use the environment creatively and discuss how it impacted their strategies afterward.

3. Vary enemy composition: Design two different enemy groups to face the party: one with a balanced mix of melee and ranged attackers, and another focusing solely on one type. Run both encounters and evaluate how the composition affected combat flow and player tactics.

4. Implement pacing techniques: Use a timer during your next combat session to limit player turns. Start with a comfortable duration, such as one minute, and adjust as needed based on the complexity of your game system. Afterward, solicit player feedback on whether the timer helped maintain the pace or added pressure.

5. Integrate dynamic elements: Design an encounter that includes dynamic environmental hazards or shifting elements (e.g., moving platforms or spreading fires). During play, allow players to interact with these elements and evaluate how they affected strategy and engagement.