Combat Primer

Todo

Combat

Initiative

Initiative is the determining factor in turn order with higher rolls going first. Your initiative is determined by a d20+DEX modifier. (Including any additional modifiers such as Gloomstalker WIS to initiative or the Alert Feat)

Your Turn

Every turn of combat you start with an action, a bonus action and reaction.

Actions

When it is your turn, you can take an action. An action can be used for many things such as Attack, Spellcasting, Disengaging, Dodge, Dash or other actions. If you use the Attack action, some classes have an extra attack which allows for more than a single attack per turn.

Bonus Actions

Certain spells, class features and other abilities allow you to use a bonus action. Anything with the time of a bonus action requires one remaining to be used, by default characters only have one bonus action per turn.

Reactions

Certain spells, abilities and situations allow for the use of a reaction. They are instant responses to a trigger that is given like an Opportunity Attack. When a reaction is used you may not take another one until the start of your next turn.

Movement

On your turn, movement can be split up between your actions. Your movement is represented in tiles under the RPR tab, for more information see the Movement page.

Attacks

When you make an attack action you spend your action to use the number of attacks that are available to your character with a default of one unless your class provides an extra attack. The attack roll is a 1d20 + 4 (Proficiency bonus) + Ability modifier. When making a melee attack the ability modifier is Strength and for Ranged weapons it is Dexterity. The exception for this is when the weapon has the finesse property, allowing dexterity to be used.

Some spells are also attacks and they use the casting attribute of the class as the ability modifier instead.

On a rolled 20 weapon attacks will become a critical hit, rolling the weapon dice again and adding it to the value. EX: A shortsword that critically hits is a 2d6 instead of just 1d6.

Spellcasting

Spells are gained via being a class, subclass or race with access to Spellcasting.

Casting Time

Most spells can be casted using your main action, some however are reactions. If a spell has a casting time of a bonus action, you cannot cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip that uses an action.

Components

Verbal

Most spells require a chanting of words. If the spell requires a verbal component, then when you are silenced, they cannot be used.

Somatic

Some spells require gestures. If the spell requires a somatic component, you must have the ability to perform these gestures.

Concentration

Some spells require you to maintain concentration to keep them active. If concentration is lost, then the spell ends.

• If you cast another spell that requires concentration, you will lose concentration on the previous spell as it can only be maintained on one at a time.
• When you take damage a concentration check must be done. This is based off of your Constitution saving throw and the default DC is 10 or half damage, whichever is higher.
• Upon incapacitation in combat you lose concentration.

Upcasting

section about class stuff

section about Statuses