Introduction: Why is the battle in DND so important?
Every battle is a throw of fate
In a deep and dense forest, the morning mist is lingering, and a low roar comes from the branches and leaves. Your fingers are tightly holding the staff, and your knuckles are white. The warrior has already taken a step forward, the shield is raised high, the ranger is bending the bow and arrows, and his breathing is even and steady. Suddenly, a giant beast leaps out of the forest, its claws tearing the air, and the battle breaks out instantly!
This is not the real-time action in video games, nor is it the battle scene that is passively read in novels. In Dungeons and Dragons, every battle is a drama woven by the players themselves. You will use the dice to roll the scales of fate, use language to show your tactics, and confront the enemy with every action of the character. And what you have to face may be a fire-breathing red dragon, or an ambush hidden in the dark alleys of the city.
Battle is the heartbeat of DND adventure.
The battle in DND is not a mindless fight, it is an arena of tactics and imagination, and the birthplace of heroic legends. Combat determines whether you can protect the village, save your companions, resist evil, and reverse your fate. More importantly, it is one of the core mechanisms of the entire tabletop role-playing game, running through all aspects of character growth, equipment use, spell selection, team collaboration, etc.
When does the DND battle begin?
In the world of DND, battles will not break out for no reason. They are often triggered by specific situations:
Hostility: This is the most common trigger. When a monster smells the breath of an adventurer, or a player takes the initiative to attack a monster, the hostility between the two sides is instantly ignited, and the battle is imminent.
Traps: Ancient dungeons and mysterious ruins often hide various deadly traps.
Plot promotion: At some key plot nodes, battles are inevitable. For example, fighting with a powerful BOSS or fighting for honor in an arena.
When a battle is triggered, the Dungeon Master (DM) will announce "entering the battle", and all participants will have to make an initiative roll.
Specific operation: Each player rolls 1d20 and adds the agility adjustment value. The higher the value, the earlier the order of action in each round.
There is a special surprise rule here.
If one party is completely unnoticed by the other party, the unnoticed party will gain a surprise advantage for 1 round and can act first. Imagine that the Wanderer, with his superb stealth skills, leads the team to quietly approach the enemy, successfully obtains the surprise round, takes the lead in launching an attack, and catches the enemy off guard!
What can you do each turn?
| Steps | Description |
|---|---|
| 1. Enter the battle | DM announces the start of the battle round and starts rolling initiative. |
| 2. Calculate the first attack | Players and enemies roll D20 + agility modifier. |
| 3. Take turns to act in the order of first attack | Players can perform actions, move, react, interact, etc. in each round. |
| 4. The battle is carried out in turns | Until all enemies or players retreat/fall to the ground. |
Tip: Each battle consists of multiple rounds. A round is not a round, but a round formed by each person walking once (6 seconds).
Now that we understand the basic flow of combat, let's look at what you can do during each turn:
| Phase | Action Description |
|---|---|
| Start Round | Trigger continuous effects and resolve any status conditions like poison, stun, etc. |
| Main Action | Core actions such as attacking, casting spells, dodging, defending, or helping allies. |
| Bonus Action | Activate special abilities or bonus spells—like off-hand attacks or class features. |
| Move | Travel within your speed limit; movement can be influenced by terrain or spells. |
| Reaction | Instantly respond to triggers, like using *Shield* or an *Opportunity Attack*. |
| End Round | Apply ongoing effects and update character statuses like death saves or cooldowns. |
Now that we understand the structure of a full combat round, let's take a closer look at the types of actions a player can take during a round. Whether it's swinging a sword, casting a spell, or strategically redeploying, every action counts.
| Action Type | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Attack | Use weapons to attack enemies, perform hit and damage checks. | "Baal swings his greatsword at the goblin." |
| Cast | Use prepared spells, consuming spell slots. | "Alyssa releases 'magic missile'." |
| Defend/Dodge | Increase the difficulty for enemies to hit you, or boost your AC. | "Choose to perform the Dodge action, the enemy's attack is at a disadvantage." |
| Move | Move on the battlefield; watch out for enemy threat zones or opportunity attacks. | "Sophia retreats to high ground." |
| Interact | Engage with the environment—grab items, open doors, or shout warnings. | "Quickly close the door to prevent the enemy from chasing." |
Attack and Damage: The Core Confrontation of Combat
1. Attack Roll
When a character attacks, an attack roll is required.
How to do it: roll 1d20 + attack bonus (the attack bonus is composed of weapon proficiency and strength/agility modifiers). If the final result is greater than or equal to the target's AC (Armor Class), the attack hits. For example, a fighter has a strength modifier of +3 and a longsword proficiency bonus of +2, so his attack bonus is +5. When he attacks an enemy with an AC of 15, he can hit the enemy as long as he rolls a number above 10.
2. Damage Calculation
After the attack hits, the next step is to calculate the damage.
The damage value is calculated by rolling the weapon damage dice and adding the attribute modifier. For example, the longsword has a damage dice of 1d8, plus the strength modifier, which is the final damage. If you roll 20 when attacking, it triggers a critical hit, and the damage dice is doubled, but the attribute modifier is not doubled. Also, it’s important to note that when a ranged attacking character has an enemy within 5 feet, the attack die needs to take disadvantage, which means rolling the dice twice and taking the lower result.
Items needed for battle
| Item Name | Usage Description |
|---|---|
| Multi-sided dice (D20, D6, etc.) | Used for all combat checks |
| Character cards | Record life, skills, spells, etc. |
| Battle maps & models | Visualize combat position and range |
| Pen and paper / markers | Record damage, status effects |
| Rulebook | Query rule entries |
| Timer (optional) | Manage status duration, etc. |
The use of spells and skills in combat
1. Spell Features
Physical attack actions are relatively intuitive, but many DND players prefer to use spell attacks or cast control spells. Not sure which spells can be cast? It is recommended to visit the spell list of D&D Beyond, where you can search by class, level, name, etc., which is convenient and quick.
| Type | Features | Application Scenarios |
|---|---|---|
| Instant spell | Once cast, it takes effect immediately, no need to maintain. | Suitable for quickly attacking the enemy and responding to emergencies. |
| Continuous spell | The character needs to stay focused to maintain the effect. | Used to control the battlefield and restrict the enemy's movement. |
| AOE spell | Affects a certain range, causing group damage or effects. | Clear a large number of enemies and disrupt the enemy's formation. |
2. Key rules for spellcasting
The casting of spells is limited by spell slots, which have a limited number of slots per day and need to be restored through a long rest. In addition, when a character casts a spell, the target usually needs to make a saving throw, that is, roll against the spell DC (difficulty level) to determine whether the spell is effective. For example, when a wizard casts "Fireball", the enemy needs to make a dexterity saving throw, and if it fails, it will suffer full damage.
3. Skill utilization
In addition to spells, various skills can also play an important role in combat. For example, the Persuasion skill can try to make the enemy surrender and avoid unnecessary battles; the Stealth skill can help the character sneak and gain an attack advantage. When facing a group of bandits, a character with outstanding eloquence can use the Persuasion skill to try to make the bandits lay down their weapons and turn hostility into friendship.
Status and abnormal effects
In the battle of Dragon Dungeons and Dragons, you not only have to face the enemy's attacks, but also deal with various "status effects": falling to the ground, fear, poisoning... Each status may instantly turn the tide of the battle!
But don't panic, understand their sources, effects and coping methods, and you can turn defeat into victory in a crisis!
| Character Status | Effects | Common Sources | Coping Strategies |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prone | Melee attacks have an advantage, ranged attacks have a disadvantage | Knocked down by an enemy, or slipping | Get up quickly or ask for teammate support |
| Unconscious | Unable to move, melee attacks auto crit | HP reduced to 0, or affected by Sleep | Require urgent assistance to avoid death |
| Frightened | Cannot move closer to fear source, attacks have disadvantage | Overwhelmed by powerful creatures | Retreat, use calming spells or items |
| Poisoned | Attack/ability rolls have disadvantage, may lose HP over time | Poison arrows, gas traps | Use antidotes or healing magic |
Death and treatment mechanisms
When the character's HP reaches zero, they will enter the "dying state". In the dying state, you need to roll a death saving throw (D20) at the beginning of each round.
- If the result is greater than or equal to 10, it succeeds 1 time;
- if it is less than 10, it fails 1 time. After 3 successes, the character will be out of danger and stable;
- if there are 3 failures, the character will die.
In terms of treatment, there are multiple ways to restore the character's health:
| Healing Method | Effect | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Healing Spell (e.g. "Cure Wounds") | Restores a specific amount of HP depending on spell level | Requires spell slots and casting time |
| Healing Potion | Restores 2d4 + 2 HP |
Can be used quickly during or between battles |
| Long Rest | Fully restores HP and partial class resources | Requires at least 8 hours of rest in a safe place |
Actual combat round demonstration
Scene: The player team encounters a fire dragon in a lava cave.
Team members:
Eliza: Fire mage, high intelligence, rich spells.
Bal: Melee fighter, uses a two-handed greatsword.
Sophia: Ranger, good at archery and scouting.
Order of attack: Eliza (20) > Sophia (16) > Fire Dragon (14) > Bal (10)
First round of battle diagram:
| Character | Action | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Eliza | Cast "Fireball" to lock the fire dragon's position | Fire dragon fails agility saving throw, takes 31 fire damage (8D6) |
| Eliza | Move to back row cover and end turn | Takes defensive position |
| Sophia | Perform ranged attack and use "Hunter's Mark" on fire dragon | Hit for 11 piercing damage (1D8 + 1D6) |
| Sophia | Move to high ground | Gain shooting advantage |
| Fire Dragon | Attack Baal with tail | Hit for 17 damage (2D8 + 5) |
| Fire Dragon | Use "Fire Breath" on Eliza | Alyssa succeeds in saving throw, takes 14 fire damage |
| Baal | Activate "Berserker's Fury" and make two greatsword attacks | Hit once for 11 slashing damage (2D6 + 4) |
| Baal | Roar to attract the dragon's attention | Creates safe space for teammates |
Q1: What does it take to hit an attack?
You roll a D20, add the attack bonus (usually including proficiency bonus + strength/agility), and if the result is greater than the enemy's AC (armor class), you hit.
Q2: Can I take multiple actions in a round?
You can take an action, a move, a reaction (if any), an extra action (such as fighter ability or dual wielding light weapons), and a free interaction action.
Q3: How long does it take to cast a spell?
Most spells are completed in one action, and some spells take longer to cast or require concentration.
Q4: How to deal with death in combat?
After HP reaches zero, you will enter the "dying saving throw" (death survival check), roll a D20 each round, and if you succeed three times, you are stable, and if you fail three times, you will die permanently.
Q5: Can you attack while moving?
Yes, your movement can be divided into segments. For example: move 15 feet → attack → move another 15 feet (total movement does not exceed speed).
Q6: Can I attack and move at the same time in one turn?
Yes. You can move (up to your movement speed) and perform a main action (such as attack or cast a spell) during your turn.
Q7: Can I do something during the enemy's turn?
Yes, use "reaction" (such as opportunity attack, spell counter, etc.), provided that the trigger conditions are met.
Q8: What if the mage is in close combat?
Use the "Disengage" action to evacuate safely, or cast "Shield" or "Mirror Image" to protect yourself.
Q9: Do I have to fight every time?
No, you can also choose to talk, retreat, surrender, or use strategic actions such as pulling a mechanism or destroying a bridge during the battle.
Q10: What if the battle is too slow?
Prepare the action sequence in advance, familiarize yourself with the role card, and make good use of the map and markers to improve fluency.
Summary
To become an excellent DND fighter, you need to:
- Understand the rules: Know clearly what each action means.
- Be familiar with the role: Master your role skills, spells and tactical advantages.
- Teamwork: DND is not a one-man show, cooperation is the king.
- Make good use of terrain and tactics: It is more important to know how to move than to roll dice.
Battle is not just a numerical game, but also a collision of creativity, strategy and role-playing!