Ideas for avoiding boring and inefficient “roll for initiative and attack” encounters: Parley, diversions, combat tactics, and planning to flee. (For Dungeon Masters, this list should be used by smarter enemies or those with combat experience.)
PARLEY: The simple act of talking to them first. It may give away position and the element of surprise, but also may prevent spending resources fighting a battle that could be avoided.
* Persuasion: Attempt to negotiate with the enemy. Offer something of value or stall for time.
* Intimidation: Scare or demoralize foes into surrendering or retreating. (An enemy hostage may be helful here.)
* Deception: Trick the enemy into believing you are on their side, reinforcements are coming, or that fighting is a bad idea.
* Bribery or Bargaining: Some enemies may be swayed by money, valuable objects, or other rewards.
* Provoking Internal Conflict: Turn enemies against each other by exploiting rivalries.
COMMUNCATION: If two side speak different languages and need to communicate with the fewest words possible, they should focus on essential concepts related to survival, navigation, trade, and basic social interaction. Here are 30 of the most useful words:
* Basic Communication: “hello,” “yes,” “no,” “please,” “thank you,” “goodbye,” “help,” and “sorry.”
* People: “I/me,” “you,” “who?” and “what?”
* Survival: “food,” “water,” “eat,” “drink,” “sleep,” “sick,” “danger,” and “safe.”
* Navigation: “here,” “there,” “come,” “go,” and “where?”
* Quantities: “one”, “two,” “more,” and “less.”
…plus maybe notable local creatures or landmarks (“dragon,” “The Great Mountain,” or such).
Note: These language barriers are swept away by two spells: Comprehend Languages (1st-level divination ritual) to understand any spoken or written language, and Tongues (3rd-level divination) to understand and speak to anyone.
DIVERSIONS: Make an enemy expend attacks or resources at false targets, or disrupt the battlefield to control where fights will take place.
* Illusions: Use spells like Silent Image or Major Image to mislead or distract.
* Summoning Creatures: Conjure creatures to harass enemies or act as meat shields.
* Environmental Traps: Knock over barrels, break bridges, or start fires to hinder enemies.
* Decoys: Send an illusion, disguised NPC, or an expendable ally to draw attention away. A talkative bard can focus the enemy’s attention while others in hiding move to better positions.
Of course, if these options are off the table and fighting is necessary…
COMBAT TACTICS Maximize removing threats, minimize taking damage, and get out with your objective (a hostage, treasure, or whatever).
* Focus Fire: Concentrate attacks on one target at a time to eliminate threats quickly, often targeting spellcasters or weaker opponents first. In D&D, “the only hit point that matters is the last one.” Every enemy above 0 h.p. can cause its full damage potential every round, so fully eliminating them one at a time reduces total enemy damage potential faster than splitting attacks against multiple targets over time.
* Use Cover: Attack from around a corner or behind furniture, trees, or stalagmites. Remember half cover grants AC +2, three-quarters cover AC +5, and full cover prevents targeting except for area effects.
* Ambush: Set up an attack from a concealed position for a surprise round. Attacking from hiding should grant advantage as well. A set trap (something collapsing on a target area) can also soften up foes before direct engagement.
* Ranged Attacks: Against enemies with mainly melee attacks, keeping distance and hitting them with ranged weapons and cantrips can soften them up before the up-close melee combatants move in to play the meat shield. (Remember a longbow can fire up to 150 feet without range disadvantage, at least two rounds or more of enemy movement.)
* Help Stronger Allies In Melee: If your damage potential is low, giving a more dangerous ally advantage with the Help action doubles chances for a critical hit. (Examples might include distracts a foe with a minor illusion, throwing sand at an enemy’s face, or making feinting strikes that force dodges or blocks but don’t really have a chance to hit.)
* Help Stronger Allies With Magic: Especially true of bards and clerics, spells like Bless or Heroism make the party’s multi-attacks-per-round attackers more effective and last longer in a fight. Keeping within range of delivering healing is also a good idea.
* Chokepoints: Fight in tight spaces where fewer enemies can engage at once or in hazardous terrain (doorways, narrow bridges, between an area effect spell and a wall).
* Hit-and-Run: Strike quickly and retreat before enemies can retaliate effectively. (See note about Use Cover.)
* Feint & Baiting: Lure enemies into a trap or disadvantageous position. Set up a “kill zone” where sniper-types with ranged weapons and spells can hit the same target.
* Spell & Ability Synergy: Combine spells like Web with area damage effects like Stinking Cloud or, ideally, Fireball for devastating combos.
* Grappling & Disarm: Restrain enemies or take their weapons to limit their effectiveness. A blindfold, gag, and ropes make a spellcaster unable to see, speak, or gesture – and, in D&D rules, that prevents all spellcasting.
* Drag Enemies Into Damage: A raging barbarian with a lot of hit points and taking only half bludgeoning damage can grapple an enemy (ideally low h.p. like a mage) and jump off a cliff. The barbarian ought to survive, but the grappled foe might not. Else, dragging an enemy closer to its allies may position the foes into a better blast radius for an ally’s spell.
* Non-Lethal Damage: An unconscious enemy at 0 hit points is just as harmless as a dead enemy, but a living prisoner can later be interrogated, traded for allied prisoners, ransomed for treasure, or even persuaded to flip sides.
FLEE: Once an encounter’s objective has been met, get out. Else, if a fight is going poorly, don’t keep going until hitting zero hit points.
* Dash Over Disengage: In most cases, an enemy can pursue a disengaging target and make a full attack during its next turn. A Dash action allows for an opportunity attack but then puts the character out of range of enemies that would need to also Dash to give chase.
* Escape Routes: Plan exits in advance and ensure mobility (spells like Misty Step, Dimension Door).
* Split & Flee: Scatter in different directions, forcing enemies to choose targets.
* Sacrificial Distraction: Leave behind a summoned creature or non-essential loot to delay pursuit. A bound prisoner who enemies may stop to free may add a round of evasion.
* Smoke & Darkness: Use Fog Cloud, Darkness, or mundane smoke bombs to cover an escape.
* Use Equipment Anyone can use caltrops, ball bearing, or simple traps that might delay or harass pursuers.