Does flanking always grant advantage, or is it up to discussion?

Question

The rules packet does not provide any specific rules about flanking. However the rule do say that the DM has lots of leeway in deciding when to give advantage or disadvantage in combat. Should it be understood that flanking always give advantage, or is the DM supposed to only give advantage when there is "clever flanking"? What is the best way to handle "flanking" in Dnd next?

Answer 1

Being a playtester DM I've spent some time to make a list of all the things that grant advantage and disadvantage within the current ruleset.

The following things grant advantage to an attack roll:

• Hidden attacker
• Attacker being helped†
• Paralyzed target
• Prone target (melee attacks only)
• Restrained target
• Stunned target
• Unconscious target

Unless you apply DM fiat, flanking does not give advantage.

^{† Flanking doesn't count as "helping" in D&D Next. Helping is a specific action. It used to exist in previous editions (3.x) and it gave +2 to the attack roll, provided the aiding character was adjacent to both the aided one and its target. The distinction here is that helping is an action and therefore it uses up your turn. Flanking in 3.x is a passive thing that requires no action itself, just good positioning, so both flanking characters get to attack (if they have any action left, that is) and both get the flanking bonus.}

Answer 2

In the current 5E playtest, there is no flanking. In fact, there are few rules for combat at all, and definitely no rules for grid-based combat and positioning. As stated elsewhere, the playtest doesn't represent the final ruleset, so positioning rules may be added later on, but for now, granting advantage is merely a judgement call.

Personally, I would say that it depends a lot on the situation. A normal humanoid creature being ganged up on by two assailants might be at a disadvantage, whereas as large creature, or exceptionally skilled opponent, might not have that same problem. Grant advantage on a case by case basis, and come up with a set of criteria that suit you and your gaming group.

Answer 3

I don't believe the intent is that flanking always grants advantage, but of course all the rules aren't out yet. It seems like it's hearkening back to 1e-2e where backstab required actual stealth or other sneakniess and the rogue wasn't a DPS machine. There's nothing to indicate you can get advantage simply by flanking (it would be way too powerful for random positioning to get you 2d20 take highest IMO). It says nothing anywhere about flanking conveying Advantage so assuming it does is quite unsupported by the rules.