Role-playing Games

Questions tagged [tactics]

Ask Question

Relating to how combat is planned and played out in a game, in individual encounters or in larger group situations. This encompasses tactical concepts directly tied to game mechanics, as well as more abstract discussions.

72 questions
Newest
Active
Bountied
Unanswered
Filter by
Sorted by
Tagged with
18
votes
2answers
548 views

What can Orcus do with Time Stop?

Last night I pitched the Demon Lord Orcus against my level 19 players. With a 26CR, I expected it to be a bigger challenge than it was. Orcus had a Wand of Orcus, and summoned a Nightcrawler, a Death ...
16
votes
5answers
3k views

What to do when I'm forced to make battle decisions by other players?

I've been playing a campaign in which there have been a few instances in battles where I feel like I'm being forced to make some non-optimal moves in battle by the rest of the PC group. For example me ...
7
votes
1answer
183 views

How have Yuan-Ti communities defended their bases against attrition attacks? [closed]

My party are level 14 and we are running a high-level version of Tomb of Annihilation. Based on lore, The Yuan-Ti had superb intelligence compared to other races. The yuan-ti took advantage of ...
27
votes
8answers
6k views

How can I improve combat so my players don't always use the strategy of collectively focusing fire on one enemy at a time until it's dead?

I'm DMing a campaign on 5e with a group of four players. We're all experienced in RPG in general but not specifically on 5e. Players are Level 4. Wizard, Fighter, Rogue and Druid, Circle of the Moon. ...
4
votes
1answer
101 views

Ranged combat in close quarters

This is a more specified version of this question. Short background: I am rather new to Pen&Paper, thus my tactical knowledge is rather slim. Ranged attacks in Rolemaster are modified by ...
6
votes
0answers
110 views

Ranged combat - warrior mage [closed]

Background We're a group of four players new to Pen & Paper with a seasoned game master. Up to now we haven't had any active contact with magic skills during combats. Due to a mixture of bad ...
24
votes
4answers
4k views

Self-Preservation: How to DM NPCs that Love Living?

I have it in mind that humanoid NPCs do not "rage against the dying of the light" as much as they should. Combat encounters frequently result in a full-on massacre, when realistically a single ...
3
votes
2answers
272 views

Players make a single plan with no backup plan, then complain about DM unfairness when their plan fails [closed]

I have been running a campaign that recently has had two very roleplay/exploration heavy arcs (really 1 arc, and the consequences of that arc). The arc in question was a heist, where the players were ...
11
votes
2answers
375 views

What Design Decisions Produce a Strong Positioning Game?

Over the years, I noticed that some games produce a very 'trench warfare' or 'shooting gallery' kind of feel. The 'trench warfare' variant is where once a combat starts, nobody really cares about ...
-1
votes
2answers
234 views

I have no magic weapon; why might I melee a target who is immune? [closed]

Let's say I have a character with a non-magical weapon, and I find myself in melee with a target immune to non-magical bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing damage. What reason might I have for making ...
63
votes
10answers
12k views

How can I engage players with melee monsters when players keep their distance?

So I am running a campaign as a DM, and one session my players were in a dungeon and spotted a Chuul in a water-filled area. The Chuul stayed deep in the pool, so the characters decided to drain the ...
6
votes
3answers
851 views

Given that a Small creature cannot pass through a space occupied by a Tiny creature, but a Medium creature can, will this strategy work?

Based on this question: Given a space occupied by a Tiny enemy, is a Small creature unable to move through it even though a Medium creature could? Could I summon, say, 8 Sprites and have them ...
53
votes
14answers
16k views

How to break the “Death Loop” resulting from unfortunate initiative order

In a recent session, an encounter with a single particularly tough Orc (who was my doppelganger, trying to kill me) left the party dealing chip damage a few rounds at a time while they attempted to ...
4
votes
1answer
269 views

How to handle player resistances as DM? [closed]

There are many threads which talk about NPC/Monster Resistances, Immunities, and Creature Tactics, but I couldn't find anything about the following: How do I, as a DM, handle PC resistances, ...
8
votes
5answers
8k views

How to survive as a support character with low AC?

I'm currently playing curse of strahd as a college of whispers bard, our party just hit level 5. During our last encounter, I was getting swarmed by multiple ghouls and getting paralyzed every turn, ...
22
votes
6answers
3k views

How can I create encounters that encourage players to use non-Attack actions?

In D&D 5e, the players have lots of actions they can take within combat encounters besides attacking. I'm trying to figure out how to encourage them to use a greater variety of actions, especially ...
7
votes
1answer
4k views

How to determine when opponents attack unconscious player characters?

As a GM, how can I tell what monsters will keep attacking unconscious PCs? I am especially wondering what happens if a party all become unconscious during combat (that is, their HP all got reduced to ...
8
votes
1answer
158 views

Can a Hunter learn and use tactics by himself?

I'm about to play a game where there are several other players, but they play other creatures like Vampires and Demons making me the only Hunter. Is it possible for me to use tactics without the help ...
16
votes
3answers
396 views

Hyperintelligent Tactics

In a game of Eclipse Phase I'm planning, the players are likely to run into a TITAN Delta Fork (a small fragment of the mind of a godlike AI). This Fork has very little access to tech (one or two ...
30
votes
8answers
7k views

How hard is too hard for monster tactics?

Fairly straight-forward question: How good should you make your monsters' combat tactics? I recently came across a situation similar to this... Party attacked by monsters. Party is taken off guard, ...
15
votes
8answers
4k views

I want my players to face clones of themselves as a Boss. How do I run them without making it too hard or going easy on them?

I'm running a custom RPG (based on the universe of Boktai, an old GBA game) with a group of six players. We are pretty far into the campaign and the players are getting pretty close to face the final ...
5
votes
3answers
4k views

How can a pugilist deal with flying enemies?

I started playing D&D a couple of months ago and I'm getting used to my pugilist character in my GM's homebrew campaign. But I always have a problem when we face flying opponents, and I know for ...
1
vote
0answers
184 views

How to best play the CON boost from a raging Chained Barbarian [closed]

When raging, HP increases from a boosted CON aren’t lost first. If the barbarian falls in a fight, when the rage is done that can mean that the barbarian suffers instant death. Obviously the ...
7
votes
1answer
6k views

When is a lance's 10 feet reach helpful?

The lance is unique among weapons with similar damage dice by having a 10-ft. reach and being one-handed when mounted. But the 10-ft. reach comes with disadvantage when your target is within 5 feet, ...
19
votes
2answers
23k views

Can a short rope used with Rope Trick create a “safe space” during combat?

Rope trick in 5e says: You touch a length of rope that is up to 60 feet long. One end of the rope then rises into the air until the whole rope hangs perpendicular to the ground. At the upper end ...
1
vote
0answers
5k views

Dealing with dragons [closed]

I understand that dragon encounters are supposed to be scary--DM plays them smart, etc.--but my question is how can (should) a party of adventurers prepare for a dragon fight (assuming it's ...
43
votes
11answers
10k views

How to deal with sniping spellcaster PCs?

I am running my first campaign of D&D 5e. We have been playing for two years and I have maybe been a bit too generous with my players. We play with a projector and MapTool, so the players can see ...
7
votes
3answers
404 views

How do controlled and uncontrolled sharks differ in behavior when aiding Sahuagin?

So, sahuagin can command sharks telepathically. However, even when they don't or can't command the sharks, the sharks still automatically know the Sahuagin are on their team and don't attack them. ...
7
votes
5answers
2k views

What do strategy vs tactics mean in tabletop RPG combat? [closed]

What's the difference between "strategy" and "tactics" in the context of tabletop roleplaying game combat? I have some idea of how these terms differ in English and I've read the SE tag descriptions ...
5
votes
2answers
13k views

Why wouldn't a 2017 UA Gunsmith Artificer use Thunder Monger every time?

As part of the 2017 UA Artificer's Gunsmith subtree, you gain the Thunder Monger ability. Why would a player ever choose to not use this ability vs a normal attack with the Thunder Cannon? It always ...
21
votes
3answers
42k views

Do I get advantage if I have the high ground?

If my character is elevated above a creature (on a table, rock, etc.), is there anywhere in the Player's Handbook or Dungeon Master's Guide that states I gain advantage for my attacks? Do attacks ...
31
votes
4answers
8k views

How are Githyanki effective against Mind Flayers?

The description of the Gith, particularly the Githyanki portrays them as them deadly, implacable enemies of Mind Flayers, so much so that they took down the unbelievably vast and powerful ancient ...
4
votes
2answers
710 views

Can you use multiple maneuvers from a tactical feat like Shock Trooper at once?

Tactical feats offer a number of maneuvers that are usable in certain situations. For example, Shock Trooper from Complete Warrior offers the directed bull rush, domino rush, and heedless charge ...
5
votes
0answers
5k views

What spells and tactics should an Evil Wizard have as Boss? [closed]

I've been playing and DMing D&D for 10 years across versions 3.5 to 5e and am now running a campaign for a group of enthusiastic newcomers in 5th Ed. The group is a mix of level 4 and level 3 ...
13
votes
2answers
1k views

How can I handle a short adventure when one or more characters has 7 Web spells at their disposal?

How can I handle a short adventure with a 2- or 4-hour timeframe when one or more characters has 7 Web spells at their disposal? I DM D&D 5e Adventurer's League regularly. On more than one ...
2
votes
3answers
725 views

What tactics/abilities can help a sneak attack archer survive in 30ft range or increase sneak attack range?

Many of the feats I've seen involving archery require you to be within 30 feet of the target. But based on my experience most archer characters don't want to be that close to combat. Why would ...
2
votes
1answer
1k views

What can I do to play my cleric better? [closed]

I realize how broad and subjective the title sounds, but it's the most honest and straight-forward way of asking the question I need answered. About a year and a half ago I joined a Pathfinder group ...
2
votes
0answers
1k views

Advice for how players can RP during combat in D&D 5e? [closed]

I enjoy the RP aspect of D&D and although I play a fighter, I like to resolve situations and solve issues without using combat every single time. Fortunately, sometimes issues can't be fixed with ...
2
votes
0answers
635 views

How can I make Savage Worlds more deterministic? [closed]

Question I've had an off feeling about Savage Worlds for a while now. I felt like it lacked tactical depth, like it was missing something that systems like DnD and Warhammer40k have. I think I've ...
5
votes
0answers
265 views

Is there a system that takes tactics over skill, and skill over dumb luck? [closed]

This is my first post. StackExchange is an incredible community, thank to you! I'm writing an RPG system and I'm looking for systems to inspire me with the following characteristics: The PCs are ...
12
votes
3answers
7k views

How to force enemies to attack the tank?

I am having a group, in which I play as a Crusader. I specialised to be a support tank - I can shrug off respectable amounts of damage all the while improving the rest of the group's fighting ...
33
votes
7answers
58k views

How can I make combat more tactically interesting for me as a DM?

For me, I find it very difficult to enjoy DMing combat encounters. Combat is generally very dry and monotonous. What can I do to make combat more enjoyable for me as a DM? Some of the issues I have ...
1
vote
0answers
228 views

Small unit tactics vs. larger group [closed]

What is a good source for tactics for a small group (~5) of mid level (10th) characters vs. a much larger group (50-100) (mixed group of ~5th levels plus leader and a dozen trolls) I'm interested in ...
13
votes
2answers
521 views

How can I learn to play my character when they know more about tactics than I do?

I've recently joined a game of Aberrant, and it's extremely player-driven and roleplay-heavy. This is very different from what I'm used to (D&D 3.PF hack & slash), and I've run into a problem (...
25
votes
11answers
4k views

How do I learn enough about military tactics to run credible military-type NPCs in combat? [closed]

I'm the GM of a Shadowrun Campaign and have difficulties letting the NPCs move in a battle like they would in real-life. Two of my players are pretty informed about how military or police would act ...
6
votes
3answers
5k views

How to deal with moderately armoured and shielded casters?

Background I am DMing Princes of the Apocalypse for 5e. My past campaigns (mostly 3.5 and 4e) were always quite challenging and tough, my players got quite paranoid, and understandably so. At level ...
5
votes
2answers
929 views

If two hostile players approach, why the fastest one gets to attack in second place?

In posting this question I'm thinking of GURPS, but it would be the same with any game in which: players get one action per turn players can either move OR attack OR (move only one hex AND attack) ...
49
votes
8answers
15k views

How does one handle a bottleneck of enemies in a doorway?

As a new DM I'm still learning how to control the monsters in a battle. A situation came up last game and although it was fine and fun, I wonder if there are better strategies for a DM to avoid a ...
2
votes
1answer
694 views

How should a shaman act in combat?

In my group, there is a shaman whose spiritual companion is a panther. The problem is that he is too afraid to go on the front lines, and as consequence he sends his panther to take care of it, but ...
16
votes
2answers
2k views

How do I deal with playing in an ultra-specialized party that is using a different playstyle than my own?

Someone asked a question about how to deal with wanting to play a plan-focused, stealthy character in a group that essentially consisted of melee types playing a 'Kick In The Door, Screaming Death ...

1
2