Updated Combat Rules

Backstab

When a creature’s back is turned, they cannot use their skills to properly defend themselves from

attacks. Any attack that originates from behind a creature ignores all dexterity, shield, or held item

armor class bonuses. Creatures with the ability to see in all directions or otherwise perceive threats

behind them ignore this penalty.

Charge

A character may choose to rush straight at an enemy, empowering their blows with extra force,

as well as attempting to knock the opponent off-balance. To do this, a character uses their move

action to move at least fifteen feet and then uses the attack action immediately afterwards. If they

do, they receive a +2 bonus on their first attack roll and first damage roll. However, this strategy

does not come without risk. If the attack misses, the defending creature may use their reaction to

move up to five feet in any direction and make an opportunity attack against their would-be

assailant. Additionally, any other attacks that are part of this action (such as bonus attacks

granted by the extra attack class feature) do not receive the +2 modifier, unless of course, the

character moves at least fifteen feet again and attacks a different creature.

Combined Attack

Occasionally, it is better to combine several smaller attacks into one large assault. This strategy

could potentially break the defense of a particularly tough opponent, or overcome damage

resistances.
In order to initiate this maneuver, a creature (hereby dubbed the leader) informs its cohorts of its

intention and uses its action. Any creature willing to aid the leader must, on their turn, state that

they use the ready action to prepare a damaging spell or physical attack to be used at the leader’s

order on the target of the leader’s direction. Alternatively, they may pass their whole turn, taking

it later. On the leader’s next turn, they can order their participating allies to assault the designated

foe. The leader must be involved in the attack; they cannot sit idly by.

The coordinated attack takes the form of one combined attack roll. This D20 roll receives a

bonus equal to the sum of the bonuses and penalties of each attack incorporated into the assault.

If the attack hits, damage is calculated in the same manner by combining all damage dice,

damage bonuses, and damage penalties of each damage type into one pool, and then rolling each

damage type’s pool separately. (Thus, all slashing damage would be rolled separately from all

piercing damage). The victim of the coordinated attack is considered to fail all saving throws

pertaining to one ability score if they fail at least one of those saving throws. Note that the leader

of the attack is the one who rolls all dice involved in this action. Players must be within range to

contribute their spells or attacks.

Command

In combat, a creature may have a sudden inspiration to remind an ally of useful idea. For

example, a person could yell “Get out of there!” to a friend who may have been too busy to do so

on their turn. Alternatively, a captain could use this ability to inspire one of their troops to

greater action.

To do this, a creature declares that they take the command action, designates the ally they are

commanding, and the action they want them to do. The commanding creature must succeed on a
DC 10 charisma check. If the check is successful, the creature receiving the order gains a free

action they can immediately use on the commander’s turn in place of the commander’s action. In

addition, the commander may command a creature who has not yet taken their turn in the

initiative track, granting them a bonus free action on their next turn. The commanded creature

can only use this bonus free action to carry out the action prescribed to them.

There are no restrictions on the actions that can be ordered, save one: a creature does not benefit

from the “extra attack” class feature unless the person ordering them possesses the same number

of extra attacks. In addition, no creature can use the command action more than once each turn,

and no creature may receive a command more than once per round of combat.

Flanking

In some situations, creatures may attempt to overwhelm a foe by surrounding them. With foes

attacking from all sides, any defender would be hard-pressed to evade incoming blows. To

simulate this effect, any creature within melee range of more than one enemy (as defined by their

opponents’ reach, and not their own) receives a cumulative -1 penalty to its armor class for each

creature after the first. Only creatures that the flanked creature can perceive count towards the

total number of -1 penalties. In addition, each flanking creature must be actively engaged with

the flanked creature while wielding a melee weapon or using their fists. That is, a creature cannot

be said to be flanking an opponent if their back is turned whilst they combat a separate foe, or if

they are using a ranged weapon.

Uneven Footing

Standing on difficult terrain can impede a character’s ability to rely on speed as a means of

defense. The lack of mobility afforded by the terrain imposes a -2 penalty to any dexterity
bonuses afforded to the creature’s armor class. A character may choose to ignore this penalty,

but the DM may call on that character to make a dexterity saving throw to determine if they can

keep their footing or not. In this case, a failing result would have some kind of consequence,

such the character falling off of the rickety bridge that they are standing on.

Unseen Spell

It is difficult to prepare oneself to resist a spell, be it physical or mental, if they do not perceive

the danger. If a spell would affect a creature who is unaware that the spell is being cast (i.e. they

can’t see or hear the caster), they have disadvantage on any saving throws that the spell requires

them to make.

Skills in Combat

Acrobatic Combatant

Characters who are proficient in acrobatics may wish to use this skill in combat to gain an edge

in either offense or defense. In order to do so, the character describes the acrobatic maneuver that

that they wish to attempt. For example, they may try to flip over an opponent, land behind them,

and attack, exploiting the Backstab mechanic. The DM then sets a DC, which could be based on

a multitude of factors, such as difficulty of the maneuver itself or the presence of enemy foes. In

the previous example, the DM might have the character engage in a contest with their opponent,

wherein they use their acrobatics bonus and the opponent uses their dexterity bonus. On a

success, the character’s maneuver is successful. On a failure, they might fall prone or their

opponent may wheel around the face them, negating the point of the maneuver.
As a general rule, when a character proficient in acrobatics uses the dodge action, they may

apply their acrobatics bonus instead of their dexterity bonus when determining armor class.

Athletic Combatant

When a character who is trained in athletics uses the dash action, they may apply an amount of

bonus movement equal to 5ft. x their athletics modifier.

Identify a Creature

Characters can make knowledge checks to recall information about creatures that they may come

across in their travels. In order to do so, a character must be proficient in the skill that

corresponds with the creature’s type.

Animals, Humanoids, Plants: Nature

Celestials, Fiends, Undead: Arcana or Religion

Aberrations, Elementals, Fey: Arcana

In addition, the character must succeed on a check with the skill that corresponds to the

creature’s type. The DC is always equal to 5 + (total hit dice of the creature). On a success, the

character knows basic information about the creature as defined in the Monster Manual. The DM

should summarize or read parts of the lore provided in the creature’s entry. A success by 5 or

more indicates an extreme level of knowledge, granting a character access to every detail

recorded in the Monster Manual that DM feels is pertinent to the situation, as well as allowing

the character’s player to have some generic knowledge about the creature’s stats “out of game”.

For example, the DM could reveal its armor class, hit points, resistances, immunities,

weaknesses, and a list of its basic actions.

In order to identify a creature, a character must be able to see it (or hear it, if it has a unique

noise), possess a basic description of the creature (written or verbal), or know the creature’s

name. For example, a character could perform a knowledge check on “what is a beholder”,

identify a beholder floating in front of them, or identify a beholder by someone else’s

description.

Identify Spell

Any time that a character perceives a spell being cast in their vicinity, they may attempt to

identify it by extrapolating from their knowledge of spellcasting. This could be extremely useful

when an opponent casts a spell which does not have an obvious, immediate, visible effect (such

as Foresight). In order to do so, they must be able to cast spells of the same level and class list of

the spell being cast. For example, a Wizard could not identify the cleric spell Shield of Faith, but

they could identify the cleric spell Dispel Magic, because Dispel Magic appears on the list of

Wizard spells also.

The character can automatically identify the spell if they currently have it memorized.

Otherwise, they must succeed on a skill check using the associated skill (see below). The DC of

this check is always equal to 10 + (the level of the spell being cast).

Bard, Sorcerer, or Wizard spell: Arcana

Cleric or Paladin spell: Religion

Druid or Ranger spell: Nature

On a success, the character has successfully determined the nature of the spell. They have not

learned how to cast it, nor do they have it memorized. They do, however, understand the basic
effect of the spell and could describe it to others. For example, the DM might say “You can tell

that the wizard has just cast a spell on herself that partially protects her from fire”.

If a character attempting to identify as spell cannot perceive one of the spells components, they

have disadvantage on the skill check. I.E., they can hear the verbal components but cannot see

the somatic components because they are in a dark room.

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