There's a New Comprehensive Guide to Combat in 'Dungeons & Dragons'

A new Dungeons & Dragons supplement provides a comprehensive look at the mechanics and strategy of in-game combat. Combat is one of the core pillars of Dungeons & Dragons and it often is the most time-consuming part of any session. While players can dodge traps or interrogate NPCs with some narration and a few dice rolls, combat usually takes much more time to set up and run. A good combat encounter in Dungeons & Dragons is unforgettable, but a bad encounter can draw players out of the story and quickly become a tedious chore.

To help DMs navigate the nuances of combat, Darren G. Scott recently released Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to Combat on the DMs Guild. This new 45 page supplement contains tons of advice for the new DM on how to run an effective combat encounter at the table, with a focus on player engagement. Drizzt's Do'Urden's Guide to Combat only spends a chapter on monster strategy, and spends most of its time explaining how to keep the table organized, focused, and excited while running through a big monster battle. While veteran DMs will probably know most of these tips already, it still serves as a good reminder of some "best methods," especially when running a large group.

New DMs will get a lot from Drizzt's Do'Urden's Guide to Combat, especially because it takes a "top down" approach to combat. The book starts with a chapter about the DM's role during a combat session, before moving on to building a table environment that's conducive to running combat. It isn't until Chapter 3 that the actual work of building an encounter begins, and even then it's spent mostly on how to optimize combat in ways that aren't necessarily described in the Dungeon Master's Guide. The book covers everything from when to end combat early to building encounters for larger parties and even the pros and cons of grid play.

If you're about to run your own D&D campaign or one-shot, you'll want to read Drizzt's Do'Urden's Guide to Combat. The supplement will help many new DMs avoid some common mistakes and give your table a head-start on having some unforgettable battles.

Drizzt Do'Urden's Guide to Combat is available for $7.45 on the DMs Guild.