D&D Combat Rules: Turn Based Combat

In my previous post I went into detail about the rules regarding Initiative, in D&D combat. (D&D Combat Rules: Initiative). I explained how to roll initiative, how to use it and how to determine the order in which players get to take their turns in combat. In this post I will explain how turn based combat works and why it is used.

How Turn Based Combat Works

Because D&D is only a game, there has to be a way of simulating combat using a variety of rules (mechanics) to make it work in the game. The system the creators came up with has a few key mechanics:

Combat Encounter – A combat encounter is the whole fight as it plays out from start to finish. Each combat encounter is made up of Rounds, and in each round there are multiple Turns. At the start of a combat encounter each character must roll to determine who goes first. This is called initiative.

Initiative – Determines the order in which characters get to take their turns. A character who rolls a higher number gets to take their turn first, and therefore gets to attack first. This is known as the “order of combat”.

Turns – Each character gets to take a turn. This turn represents what they do during the fight. A player could use their turn to stab, shoot, cast a spell or move a set distance. The order in which characters got to take their turn was determined by rolling initiative.

Rounds – A round encompasses every characters turn. Once all characters have taken their turn, the round ends and a new round begins in which the same order of combat repeats until the player’s character is defeated or the enemy is defeated. For reference a round of combat is supposed to be the equivalent of 6 seconds.

Summary

To sum it all up, before the imaginary fight can begin, you must first roll to see in what order each character gets to take their turn (Initiative). As an example lets say, Player One rolls a 7, Player Two rolls a 16 and Enemy One rolls a 12 the order of turns would be Player Two, Monster One and then Player One because Initiative is ordered highest to lowest. Once the last character in the order has taken their turn, a new round starts and the Character with the highest initiative gets to begin the next round. This cycle continues until one side of the combat is defeated.

Turn based combat is important to a tabletop RPG, as their is no other alternative to simulating fictional combat, that offers the same kind of structure that turn based does. Without some sort of structure to combat, players of the Game would just be screaming at the GM across the table, yelling what they want their character to do, whilst the GM frantically tries to work-out what his players are doing in the combat encounter. Turn based therefore lets everyone tell the GM what they intend to do during their turn without bombarding him/her with demands.

Turn Based Combat may be confusing But it’s better than the alternative.