Credits
This guide is created by myself, /u/ilovegoodfood.
It is tailored to suit my own ideas and thematic choices, which may differ to yours.
This supplement was heavily inspired by, and in no insignificant part based upon Grit and Glory by /u/theapoapostolov. /u/theapoapostolov has also provided ongoing feedback and support for the creation of this supplement, as a distinct and differently themed combat supplement.___
Images
Contrary to what many people in /r/UnearthedArcana believe, the use of image without the express consent of the author is piracy. Therefore, while this document is styled to match the Player's Handbook as closely as possible, it has no images.
- The current cover image is the default provided by GMBinder, for which I am assuming they have proper licensing.
There are blank spaces for the images to go in, should I ever go out of my way to find such images, or should any artists using this guide be interested in offering up some of their own work. Should you do so, please be aware that I'm not in a position to pay for commissions.
Introduction
This supplement aims to provide equipment that more closely resembles reality, whilst remaining true to the ease of use design theme of 5E.
It also includes a number of optional combat rules that I commonly use in my games, as well as some samples of improvised actions that a player may wish to take.
Contents
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1Introduction
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2Changes to Combat
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2The Order of Combat
- 2Ambush
- 2Your Turn (Drawing and Sheathing Weapons and Shields)
- 2Use an Object (Potions)
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2Actions in Combat
- 2Engage
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3Exposure
- 3It's Alive! (Sidebar)
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4Smooth Spellcasting
- 4Components (Somatic)
- 4Alternative Spellcasting Focuses
- 5Statuses and Injuries (Sidebar)
Changes to Combat
The contents of this section are associated with Chapter 9: Combat in the Player's Handbook, starting on page 189, and Chapter 8: Running the Game, Combat, starting on page 247 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
The Order of Combat
Ambush
Rule. If all creatures in a group would be surprised by an attack, and the attackers have pre-planned the ambush, the attackers gain an ambush round. During an ambush round all of the defendants are surprised for the duration of that round and the ambushers may break up their turns however they please, including taking their turn in parts, with other characters acting in-between those parts, irrespective of their own initiatives. This mimics simultaneous action by the party.
You should only allow players to make use of this feature if the characters have planned to use it and have discussed the details of the plan, including the trigger or cue for beginning the ambush.
Reasons. There are many situations that, due to the randomness of initiative rolls, become impossible. A particular plan may have hinged on some actions coming before others, but the party cannot guarantee this will be the case. By introducing an Ambush round to the game system, you enable true, pre-designed ambushes to exist within your games.
Example. The rogue begins combat by firing their bow across the street at the enemy. The fighter then charges out of concealment and takes the attack action against an opponent. At this point, the wizard casts darkness over the enemies. Since he is now obscured from them, the rogue uses his bonus action to take the hide action and his movement to change location. The fighter, who is also obscured in the darkness, uses his remaining movement to safely back away from the enemies.
In this example, there are several interactions that would not be possible in a surprise round. For example, if your wizard had rolled highest on initiative, the darkness spell would have been cast first, obscuring the enemies from the attacks of both the rogue and the fighter. Furthermore, both the rogue and fighter split their turns in order to take actions both before and after the darkness was cast.
Your Turn
Drawing and Sheathing Weapons and Shields (Optional)
Rule. Players can draw and ready any number of weapons or items upon first entering initiative and as part of the 'Other Activity on Your Turn' (see page 190 of the Player's Handbook), instead of only one.
Reasons. Only being able to draw one piece of equipment at a time seriously delays combat readiness for character wielding two weapons, or a shield and a weapon.
Example: A rogue may draw both their shortswords in one go, without expending an action or bonus action.
Use an Object (Optional)
Potions
Rule. When drinking a potion that is stowed in an easy to reach location, you may drink the potion as a bonus action instead of an action.
When feeding a potion to an unconscious creature, you must pass a DC 10 Intelligence (Medicine) skill check, or spill the potion. The DM may also require skill checks for force feeding potions to conscious creatures, such as a bound prisoner. The type and DC of the check used in this situation is up to the DM's discretion and may be contested by the creature being force fed the potion, also at the DM's discretion.
Easy to Reach Locations
Characters have belt pouches, sashes, external pockets and any other number of ways to keep useful items within easy reach.
A DM should apply some simple reasoning as to how many and what type of items it is reasonable for a player to carry in this way and should be aware that a pickpocket may find one of these items when searching for an unguarded coin purse.
Actions in Combat
Engage
Rule. If you are wielding a weapon with at least 10 foot reach you can use your reaction, when a hostile creature first moves within the reach of your weapon, to engage that creature with your weapon. Make an attack roll against the target. On a hit, you deal no damage and the target's movement speed is immediately reduced to 0 until the end of their turn.
Reasons. Longer reach weapons are an enormous advantage in real world combat, allowing you to keep opponents at a safe distance and still threaten them. This rule introduces a representation of that to the Dungeons and Dragons system, which currently has none.
Example. A goblin rushes towards your fighter, who intercepts the charging goblin with his halberd. The goblin is forced to stop his charge 10 feet from the fighter, lest he be impaled.
Exposure
Rule. There are two levels of exposure. Partial exposure grants a -2 penalty to AC. Full exposure, which shouldn't be used against the players, applies a -5 penalty to AC.
The target is partially exposed to ranged attacks that pass through the three tiles directly behind it. The target is partially exposed to melee attackers, if it is engaged by at least two melee combatants that are spaced out by 120 degrees or more around the target.
When a hostile creature moves into melee with the target, the target may choose to turn and face that creature, or angle that would include that target.
Reasons. The optional flanking rules (See page 251 of the Dungeon Master's Guide) increase the 'to hit' chance against a flanked creature by an average of 3.5 for all attackers. This is not only very strong, but it also feels even stronger than it actually is during play.
The experience of the players when using flanking can very quickly become one of a fight being too easy when flanking, but too hard otherwise. Furthermore, when multiple hostile creatures flank the players, it can very quickly turn an easy or medium difficulty fight into a very bad situation that the player can do very little about. For these reasons, I have designed the Exposure system, which invokes negative cover in place of advantage.
Types of Exposure
In addition to the two levels of exposure, there are also two main types of exposure.
Tactical Exposure
Rule. The target is partially exposed to ranged attacks that pass through the three tiles directly behind it. The target is partially exposed to melee attackers, if it is engaged by at least two melee combatants that are spaced out by 120 degrees or more around the target.
Reasons. The 120 degree ruling corresponds well with the average human field of vision, typically 114 degrees. Anything beyond this angle is your peripheral vision, which extends to 194 degrees, 97 degrees to each side.
Trying to fight opponents in your peripheral vision is much more difficult than being able to focus the best parts of your eyesight on the enemies' movements.
Furthermore, while very little can be done to evade projectiles, you can do even less about it if you can't see it, thus projectiles from behind benefit from partial exposure.
Environmental Exposure
Rule. A target is partially exposed to ranged attackers if they are in a location with no visual noise or available cover (none within 30 feet of the target).
Reasons. In historical defensive architecture, land was often cleared for a significant radius, typically a bowshot from the defender's side, around the defenses. This would include the removal of trees and stumps, leveling the terrain and ensuring the space is as uniform as reasonably possible.
Not only did this prevent the enemy from taking any kind of cover, but it also reduced visible noise, confounding factors in the environment that may it harder to spot, track and fire on an enemy. If trapped in such a location, the target is partially exposed to ranged attackers.
Example. A small group of raiders rushes across the cleared ground surrounding the temporary fort. Just as they reach half-way, the defender's notice the assaulting force and open fire. The raiders suffer from environmental exposure to those attacks.
Full Exposure
Rule. Do not use this casually. Unless dealing with large scale combat, do not use it at all.
Reasons. Full exposure is an incredibly strong penalty that should be used exceedingly rarely. As such, it may never even be used in your game.
Example. This represents being trapped in a well planned, carefully organized situation, between a huge number of assailants, such as an army being enveloped in a shield wall and crushed by a perfectly executed assault. It may also apply to the outer courtyard of a fortified castle that is siege ready, allowing arrows, oil, stones and other projectiles to be rained down on the target from every angle with impunity.
It's Alive!
It's very easy to treat hostile NPCs in a combat encounter as mindless combatants. Most of the time however, this is not the case.
Whether the creature be a natural animal, such as a wild boar, or a humanoid, such as a bandit or goblin, they have their own motivations, instincts and personalities.
While some bandits may fight to the death, the majority are liable to surrender or flee if it becomes clear they are outmatched, preferring to save their own lives.
This needs to be considered both when planning encounters and during the encounter itself.
For example, Sarah is playing Grogthor the Goliath Barbarian. After ripping of the head of the bandit captain in a bloody display of strength, you may wish to grant Grogthor a free Charisma (Intimidation) skill check. Depending on how Sarah rolled as well as the general situation, some or all of the bandits may surrender, flee or simply become frightened of Grogthor.
This simple roll encourages the players to fight as their characters and rewards them accordingly. It also helps to make the hostile NPCs, and the encounter as a whole, more immersive.
Smooth Spellcasting (Optional)
The contents of this section are associated with Chapter 10: Spellcasting in the Player's Handbook, starting on page 201.
The following minor rule changes perform better as a set, which is why this section, instead of the individual rules, has been marked as optional. Using these rules together as well as the optional 'Drawing and Sheathing Weapons and Shields' rule and the change to 'Use an Object' for potions, should greatly increase the flow of combat for all characters, but especially half and three-quarters spellcasters.
Components
Somatic (S)
Rule. Only full casters require an empty hand to perform the somatic components of a spell. Partial use of the hand is sufficient.
Reasons. The requirement to have an empty hand, aside from the spellcaster's spellcasting focus or the spell's material components, whichever is applicable, to cast a spell that has Somatic components can be extremely limiting to half and three-quarter casters, due to their heavy use of weapons.
Example. If a spell does not require any material components, the spellcaster has to sheath their weapon, as a free action, cast the spell as an action or bonus action and then use whichever they have left to re-draw their weapon, DM allowing. If the spell has a casting time of a reaction, such as hellish rebuke or shield, the spellcaster must keep a hand empty in order to have the possibility of using that spell.
If the spell has a material component, then the spellcaster must sheath their weapon, as a free action, draw the material component or spellcasting focus as an action or bonus action, DM allowing, cast the spell and then wait until the following turn to sheath the material component or spellcasting focus, as a free action, and then re-draw their weapon as an action or bonus action. This effectively makes casting that spell a two turn process, greatly limiting its value and breaking up the flow of combat.
If the spell has a casting time of a reaction, then the spellcaster must preemptively empty their hand and draw the spell's material components or their spellcasting focus, taking both their free action and action or bonus action, DM allowing, just to have the option to use the spell.
Alternative Spellcasting Focuses
The discussion of arcane focuses draws on Chapter 5: Equipement, starting on page 143 of the Player's Handbopk, and Components: Material (M), found on page 203.
There are three different types of spellcasting focus in the game, each with slightly different requirements.
Arcane Focus
Rule. For the arcane focus use the spellcasting focus rules as written in the Player's Handbook.
Reasons. In the Player's Handbook, all arcane focuses require the use of at least one hand. Arcane focuses are used by Sorcerers, Warlocks and Wizards in place of a spell's material components, where able. Generally, these classes are heavily focused on spellcasting. As such, the requirement for an arcane focus to be held in a hand is not limiting to their core function.
Druidic Focus
Rule. Instead of requiring the use of a hand, a druidic focus can instead be worn in contact with their skin. Rangers may also use druidic focuses, as by default they don't have access to any spellcasting focus.
Reasons. Druidic focuses are exclusively used by Druids. Whilst much of the time in combat, a druid relies upon spellcasting or beast shape, they often get into situations where they are left fighting with their trusty scimitar or shillelagh enhanced quarterstaff. In these situations, the requirement to be holding their druidic focus results in significant slow-downs, restricting their freedom to combine martial and arcane actions (see Components, Somatic (S) above).
Eaxample. Some examples of hands free druidic focuses include; a flower necklace, a bone headdress or a wooden ring.
Tattoos of Holy Symbols
If you are allowing the use of tattoos of holy symbols as spellcasting focuses in your world, as a DM, you must remain aware that NPCs in your world may recognize this as a viable spellcasting focus. As such, in situations where a character is disarmed, such as a diplomatic mission or being kidnapped, NPCs will take steps to prevent the use of the tattoo as a spellcasting focus.
This may be as simple as covering it with cloth or a metal shackle, or it may result in more drastic measures, such as the tattoo being cut from the skin or the limb the tattoo is on being removed outright. Furthermore, kidnappers who are aware of this may perform a strip search to verify that the spellcaster is not concealing a tattooed holy symbol that they could later reveal and use.
Should your players express interest in using a tattoo as their holy symbol, you, the DM, should explain the potential ramifications of their choice.
Holy Symbols
Rule. A holy symbol that is used as a spellcasting focus must directly relate to that character's faith and be on display on their personage.
Reasons. Clerics and Paladins are able to use a symbol of their faith as a spellcasting focus. Both classes rely heavily on a balanced mixture of arcane and martial actions. As such they suffer the most from the rules as written in the Player's Handbook. Incidentally, the Player's Handbook allows the use of a symbol of their faith presented on their shield to be used as a spellcasting focus, which already circumvents sch restrictions.
It is important to remember that the Player's Handbook specifically requires such a holy symbol to be on display for it to be used as a spellcasting focus. An item such as a necklace must be worn above your armor, rings loose their effectiveness if worn under gloves or gauntlets and placing layers of clothing over embroideries or tattoos will prevent their use as a spellcasting focus. The simplest solution remains the use of an engraving on your armor, weapon or shield.
Example Some examples of the forms holy symbols can take are as follows; a wide variety of engravings on armor, weapons or jewelry, stitched designs on clothing, including gloves, masks and other external garments, or even tattoos can all be used as holy symbols.
Statuses and Injuries
Status effects and loss of health are easy to dismiss as just another statistic. These effects are serious considerations for the characters, even if not the players, and will have visible and behavioral consequences for them.
When a character is suffering from the poisoned condition, for instance, they may look pale to others, move more erratically and be less steady on their feet. They may also talk less, or appear short tempered, due to their discomfort.
The same is true fro lost hit points. If a character has suffered multiple serious blows and is extremely low on hit points, this will be perceptible to other characters and NPCs and may warrant unique interactions. For example, after being seriously wounded in a fight the party returns to tavern to rest, without first healing. Upon arrival, they may be greeted with concern for their wellbeing from the barkeep and other patrons, or suspicion and even rejection for their uncouth appearance.
Being specific with the fluff descriptions that you used during combat, and remembering them for repeat use afterwards, can greatly improve the feeling of authenticity this brings to the table. If you previously described a character as having a gash across their left arm, then this same gash should the focus of later attention.