Start of Round Options

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about that strategic approach to encounters. One of my rules of thumb for adventure design is that combat is the default end state for any interaction. You might start with the characters talking to an NPC, but once someone attacks the encounter is a combat. Pulling it out of that state is difficult. Why waste actions talking when you could just beat down an NPC?

The reverse is also true. Players are notorious for pressing a battle long after it’s clear they have no chance to win. Should they try talking or running away? In most cases, the players are better off trying to beat down their opponents.

How can the system help solve this? Can we build a procedure to make combat one option among many?

The Intentions Phase

At the start of each round of an encounter, the players pick one of the following:

• Press the attack. Proceed to roll initiative and run the combat round.

• Parley. Pause the action and give the characters a chance to talk to the opposition.

• Flee. The PCs try to break off the fight and run.

This is a group decision, resolved with the following guidelines:

• If any characters want to parley, an interaction round takes place.

• If any of the PCs want to flee, resolve flight only for them. The rest of the group continues fighting.

• Anyone who didn’t run takes part in the next combat round once the interaction round (if any) is over.

The purpose of this mechanic is to build a pause in the game to give the players a chance to assess the situation and make a group decision.

The Interaction Round

The interaction round does not use actions or cause time to pass for purposes of durations and other effects. It’s a momentary pause in the fight where the characters and NPCs have a chance to exchange words. If your game is a movie, this is the pause between attacks where two characters talk as they circle each other and prepare for their next exchange.

During the interaction round, the players can roleplay and attempt to talk to their opponents, and vice versa. Each character is allowed one opportunity to sway their opponents into surrendering, laying down their weapons, and so on.

There is not enough time to cast a spell or use any special abilities. Keep the action entirely to spoken words and other communication, along with ability checks as needed.

The purpose of this rule is to give the players and DM space to roleplay in a fight. The classic villain monologue takes place during an interaction round. The interaction takes place before combat actions during a round to give both sides the chance to sheathe their weapons.

By design, this makes interacting with creatures a zero-risk proposition. In my experience, players are reluctant to interact with NPCs during a battle because they don’t want to waste an action trying to talk down a hobgoblin knight who has no interest in talking to them.

Flight

If the PCs want to run away, they need a clear path to safety. If the PCs are in a dungeon or other dangerous place, they need a clear route out from their current location to an exit from the dungeon, level, or region. Otherwise, they run into the first monster, trap, or barrier that blocks their escape. The characters need to be aware of the route, having mapped it earlier. The characters can also escape if they could plausibly reach the exit without a map, such as in a simple area with a linear path or an area they have traversed many times before.

The DM then determines if the monsters want to press the attack. You can judge the monsters’ reaction or roll a d6:

1: The monsters allow the PCs to escape.

2 – 3: The monsters press the attack unless any of them have been downed or bloodied. In that case, they allow the PCs to escape.

4 – 5: The monsters press the attack unless half or more of them are down or bloodied. In this case, they allow the PCs to escape.

6: The monsters press the attack.

The PCs can choose to leave behind treasure or food as a distraction. If the DM rules the distraction sufficient, subtract 2 from the roll (minimum result of 1).

If the monsters press the attack, the characters make a group DC 15 Dexterity (Athletics) check. If they succeed, they manage to flee (a group check succeeds if half or more of the characters succeed). They exit the dungeon or location, or they reach a safe spot where the DM judges that the monsters will not pursue them. If they fail, each PC immediately moves up to double their speed before the combat round begins. During the next round, the PCs do not have actions or movement on their turns.

Note that the characters might fail a series of checks to escape but could still reach a location that offers safety, such as a chamber that the creatures refuse to enter or a spot where they can drive close and lock a gate. However, the characters cannot act during the round in which they flee. They would need to stop fleeing next round and, during the subsequent combat round, secure a door or otherwise use the environment to cut off pursuit.

Fallen Characters. As part of fleeing, the characters can carry fallen allies. Each PC can carry or drag one other character. A fallen character takes up 10 inventory slots, and characters can drop gear to free up slots to carry a comrade. Two characters can combine their efforts to share the burden, spreading the inventory slots between each other to carry a comrade to safety.