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Dungeons and Dragons: Combat

Combat Flow

  • Roll Initiative on a d20:
    • All enemies of the same type share the same initiative roll (e.g., all goblins in a battle act simultaneously). Combat proceeds with the highest initiative score going first and the lowest going last.
  • Individual Combat Turn. During an individual’s turn, they can perform the following actions in any order:
    • Move: Movement can be split into multiple segments, allowing a combatant to move, act, and then move again. The total distance they can move in a turn is based on their movement speed, and movement only occurs during their turn.
    • Attack/Act: Attacking is considered an action, as are activities like casting a spell, drinking a potion, standing up from a prone position, helping another player, etc. Each individual gets one action per turn unless they have a special ability that allows for additional attacks or actions.
    • Bonus Action: Some spells, attacks, and actions can be performed as a bonus action. The spell, ability, or action description will specify if it can be done as a bonus action. If nothing specifically states it can be performed as a bonus action, the character does not get a bonus action.
    • Talking: Characters can talk at any time during combat without it requiring an action, bonus action, or reaction.
  • Out of Turn Actions. During other combatants' turns, characters have limited options for actions:
    • Reaction: Reactions include actions like parrying, dodging, or counterspelling another character’s attack or spell.
    • Attack of Opportunity: If a combatant leaves combat without using the disengage action, they provoke an attack of opportunity, giving their opponent a free attack. Attacks of opportunity don’t count against a character’s number of attacks or actions allowed during their turn, unless the attack interrupts their current action. For example, a character casting a spell that takes multiple turns cannot stop casting, use an attack of opportunity, and then resume casting the spell.

Rogue's Sneak Attack

"Beginning at 1st level, you know how to strike subtly and exploit a foe's distraction. Once per turn, you can deal an extra 1d6 damage to one creature you hit with an attack if you have advantage on the attack roll. The attack must use a finesse or a ranged weapon.

You don't need advantage on the attack roll if another enemy of the target is within 5 feet of it, that enemy isn't incapacitated, and you don't have disadvantage on the attack roll.

The amount of the extra damage increases as you gain levels in this class, as shown in the Sneak Attack column of the Rogue table."

Among the many classes available to players in D&D, the rogue has consistently been one of the most popular choices. The class's Sneak Attack feature is often a key reason for its appeal. The rogue in D&D 5e offers an engaging learning curve, making it both exciting and challenging for new players to master.

The Rogue's Sneak Attack feature is favored for its capacity to inflict significant damage on a single target. At first level, Sneak Attack adds an extra d6 of damage to a successful attack, and this bonus increases to an impressive 10d6 as the Rogue approaches the level 20 cap.

Rogue Level Damage Dice

1-2

1d6
3-4 2d6
5-6 3d6
7-8 4d6
9-10 5d6
11-12 6d6
13-14 7d6
15-16 8d6
17-18 9d6
19-20 10d6

 

Check out this handy flowchart (click to enlarge):

Handy Player Guide (Click to Open Full Size)

Combat Video Guides