The Simultaneous Combat System The Proble m I am a relatively new DM compared to others, as I have only been behind the screen for a couple of years now. However, there is one thing that has always bugged me about standard 5e D&D- the combat. Like most DMs, I always want combat to feel exciting, dramatic, and above all-engaging. The current turn-based 5e system, however, seems to limit these feelings to a considerable extent- especially with larger parties. Most of your time as a PC is spent silently waiting your turn and pretty much checking out of the action. Besides lack of engagement, 5e combat can seem to stretch on for ridiculous lengths of time. A combat encounter of 5 rounds is said to last 30 seconds in-game time, but with parties of 5 or more PCs, a 5-round encounter can easily take more than an hour to resolve. I know I’m not the fi rst or the last to address these issues, but to that end, I have developed a revised 5e combat system that I believe drastically improves (and accelerates) combat encounters. Simultaneous Combat! So here is the big change that this system revolves around - NO MORE INITIATIVE. And not only that - NO MORE TURNS. That’s right: The Simultaneous Combat System gets rid of turn-based combat altogether in favor of near-real-time combat. It is no longer one player’s turn at a time- it is everyone’s turn! I know, I know. This concept probably seems crazy, chaotic, and game-breaking, but I promise you- implemented correctly, initiative and turns can be removed entirely from the game and result in a combat encounter that is much faster, more tactical, and more fun! This system borrows heavily from ideas on the Dungeon Craft youtube channel, but I have clari fi ed and adapted them for ease of use. I have implemented this system at my table to tremendous e ff ect. To give you an idea- I currently run a party of 5 PCs. With the standard 5e combat system, a 4- round encounter would take about 45m-1hr to resolve. With the Simultaneous Combat System, I can easily run a 4-round encounter in about 15 minutes! Note: This system works best with tabletop play with tokens or miniatures, and a ton of dice! I’m sure there is a way to adapt this to TotM or online play, so if you have thoughts on this- I’d love to hear it! How it Works: The Action Cycle Once the encounter has been set up on the board, play begins. In the Simultaneous Combat System (SCS), just as in standard 5e combat, each battle consists of several rounds. Inside each round, each player has the same amount of actions, movements, and bonus actions that they would typically have to work with in a round of standard 5e combat. The action economy does not change. Since there is no initiative order, actions and movements are all happening at the same time. To prevent absolute chaos, however, all actions are lumped into three resolution phases . Combat moves through these three resolution phases, resolving each type of action as it arises, and then repeats these phases until no more actions or movements are left in the round. The round then ends, and the next one begins at the top of the three resolution phases. This cyclical process is called the Action Cycle - and it is the driving mechanic behind the SCS. The Action Cycle works in this order: - 1st: Spells • Non-Attack Spells - Any spells not requiring a ranged or melee attack roll. This includes any spell requiring a DC save from a target(s). A creature targeted by this type of spell must roll to save and any e ff ects of success/failure are applied immediately. - 2nd: Attacks • All melee & ranged attacks (including ranged/melee attack spells) - Every creature who intends to attack (melee, ranged, or melee/ranged spell attack) rolls their d20 attack roll and places it next to their token on the board. Starting from the highest attack roll to the lowest, the DM then resolves each attack. Meaning- each creature’s attack roll now also determines the order in which each attack lands . As the DM resolves attacks, the corresponding d20s are removed from the board making it easier to keep track of which attacks have already been resolved. - 3rd: Moves + Misc. • Miscellaneous Actions - This is a large category and includes everything that is not an attack, spell, or movement (Dash, Disengage, Hide, Help, etc.). These actions include any Action that does not directly cast a spell or make an attack (special class actions, e.g.). More on this later. - Any actions take resolution priority over movement in the Moves + Misc. phase. For example- a fi ghter wants to use Rally as a BA before he moves. This BA is resolved before any other creatures resolve their movement. • Movements - Movements & Misc. Actions may be split up and used in any order. For example you may move 10ft, use the Help action, then move another 20ft. The Action Cycle then repeats from the top, and any remaining actions are taken. Once every combatant has used up all their available actions and movements, the round ends, and the next begins at the beginning of the Action Cycle . Combat moves through as many rounds as are necessary until the battle ends. To keep track of the current cycle and round, here is a diagram I use with my players to keep everyone on the same page: Combat Overview Here is an overview of what a typical SCS fi ght would look like: - Round #1 - 1st Cycle • Spells • Attacks • Moves + Misc. - 2nd Cycle • Spells • Attacks • Moves + Misc. - *repeat until no more actions/ movements remain* - Round #2 - 1st Cycle • Spells • Attacks • Moves + Misc. - 2nd Cycle And so on, and so on... Bonus Actions One tricky bit comes in the form of Bonus Actions. Just like normal actions, Bonus Action’s (BA’s) are lumped into three categories: Spells , Attacks , and Miscellaneous . BAs are resolved in the resolution phase in which they fi t. Spells with a BA casting time are resolved in the Spell phase. Extra attacks that can be used as BAs are resolved in the Attack phase. Every other kind of BA is resolved in the Moves + Misc. phase. Unless a BA is explicitly making an attack roll or casting a new spell, it automatically falls into the Misc. bucket. BAs can be used alone or in addition to a normal action in the same resolution phase. The user of the BA may decide the order in which their actions and BAs take place. For example: In the same Spell resolution phase, a Cleric could choose to cast Healing Word as a BA before or after casting Aid as a normal action. Or a Rogue could decide to move 15ft, Use an Object as a BA, and move another 15ft- all in the same Moves + Misc. phase. S P E L L S AT tac k s m o v e s + m i s c . T H E AC T I O N CYC L E Example Battle Let’s take a look at an example fi ght to get a clear understanding of how these mechanics would play out in a real combat encounter. Our PCs- a Rogue, a Wizard, and a Paladin enter a room with with 3 angry Orcs wielding rusty swords. Combat breaks out. *I’m open to suggestions for a phrase to replace the ever-satisfying “roll for initiative” here. - Round 1 • 1st Cycle: - Spells - The DM asks if anyone is using a spell. Everyone who is casting a spell that does not involve an attack roll states their intention to the DM. • The Wizard casts Acid Splash on the two smaller orcs, who immediately roll and fail their save, taking 1d6 damage - Attacks - The DM asks if anyone is attacking. Everyone who is making a melee or ranged attack (including ranged/melee spells) rolls their attack d20 and places the resulting die next to their character token on the board. • The Rogue is fi ring at the large Orc- he rolls a 21 • The small Orc is throwing a dagger at the Wizard- he rolls a 16 • The DM surveys the all the dice on the board. Moving from highest attack roll to lowest, the attacks are resolved in the following order: 1. The Rogue’s arrow hits fi rst and the large Orc takes 1d6+3 damage 2. The small Orc’s dagger hits next and the Wizard takes 4 damage. 1d6+3 dmg 4 DMG 21 HIT 16 HIT 1d6 dmg 1d6 dmg 4 fail 10 fail S P E L L S AT tac k s m o v e s + m i s c . R O U N D 1 S P E L L S AT tac k s m o v e s + m i s c . R O U N D 1 - Moves + Misc. - The DM asks if anyone is moving, or using any miscellaneous actions. • The Wizard ducks behind the partial cover of a barrel • The Paladin moves forward to engage the large Orc • the scarred Orc moves into melee range of the Rogue • the big Orc moves forward to engage the Paladin • the small Orc moves towards the Wizard, but is just out of melee range. • 2nd Cycle: - Spells - The DM asks if anyone is using a spell. • No spells are cast - Attacks - The DM asks if anyone is attacking. • The Paladin is swinging his sword at the big Orc and rolls a 12 • The big Orc is swinging his sword down at the Paladin and rolls a 22 • The Scarred Orc is slashing at the Rogue and rolls a 16 • The Rogue is using disengage as a bonus action and moving away from the scarred Orc • Based on the value of the attack rolls, the attacks are resolved in the following order: 1. The big Orc hits fi rst dealing 6 damage to the Paladin 2. The scarred Orc hits next- the Rogue takes 3 damage. 3. The Paladin goes last, but his swords clangs o ff the big Orc’s crude iron 6 DMG 3 DMG 16 HIT 12 miss 22 HIT S P E L L S AT tac k s m o v e s + m i s c . R O U N D 1 S P E L L S AT tac k s m o v e s + m i s c . R O U N D 1 - Moves + Misc. - The DM asks if anyone is moving, or using any miscellaneous actions. • The Rogue moves just out of melee range of the scarred Orc. • The scarred Orc pursues the Rogue and is back in melee range. - No more actions/movements remain - *End of Round* - Round 2 • 1st Turn: - Spells • No spells are cast - Attacks • The Wizard is fi ring Acid Arrow at the small Orc who is charging towards him and rolls a 19 • The big Orc is swinging down again on the Paladin and rolls a 12 • The Paladin is swinging back at the big Orc and rolls a 22 • The scarred Orc is attacking the Rogue and rolls a nat 20 . The Paladin, however, uses his Protection reaction to protect the Rogue and imposes disadvantage on the attacking Orc, lowering his roll to 8 • The Rogue slashes at the scarred Orc. He rolls a 16 • Based on the value of their attack rolls: 1. The Paladin hits the big Orc for 1d8+5 damage 2. The Wizard hits the small Orc for 4d4 acid damage. The Orc melts before he can get to the Wizard. 3. The Rogue hits the scarred Orc for 1d6+3 damage, plus an additional 1d6 sneak attack damage. The scarred Orc falls to the ground, dead. 4. The big Orc’s sword glances of the Paladin’s shield. 1d8+5 DMG 2d6+3 DMG 4d4 DMG 12 16 HIT 19 HIT 25 8 MISS 22 HIT MISS S P E L L S AT tac k s m o v e s + m i s c . R O U N D 1 S P E L L S AT tac k s m o v e s + m i s c . R O U N D 2 S P E L L S AT tac k s m o v e s + m i s c . R O U N D 2 - Moves + Misc. • The Rogue sweeps around to fl ank the big Orc - No more actions or movements remain - *End of Round* - Round 3 • 1st Cycle: - Spells • No spells are cast - Attacks • The big Orc uses action Multi-Attack to attack the Paladin and the Rogue. He rolls a 25 and 16 • The Wizard casts Scorching Ray on the big Orc and rolls 17, 19, and 24 • The Paladin attacks the big Orc and rolls a 7. • The Rogue attacks the big Orc and rolls a 13 • Based on the value of the attack rolls: 1. The big Orc’s fi rst attack hits the Paladin for 6 damage 2. Before the big Orc’s 2nd attack lands, all 3 blasts of the Wizard’s Scorching Ray land and deal 6d6 damage to the big Orc, turning him to a smoldering pile of ash. - END OF COMBAT! Quirks of the SCS - Attacks of Opportunity As you may have noticed in this combat example, no opportunity attacks took place. This absence is because, in the SCS, there are no opportunity attacks Once again, I know this seems like a crazy idea, but in the SCS, these attacks are unnecessary and give an unfair advantage to melee-focused combatants. Since all combat is happening more or less simultaneously, the need for a penalty for moving out of melee range is not there. Let me explain: Imagine a Ranger and a Goblin are standing toe-to- toe in melee combat. The Ranger intends to make a break for a closing stone door on the other side of the room, while the Goblin plans to continue to hack the Ranger to pieces. In standard 5e combat , let’s say the Ranger is fi rst in the initiative order, and her turn begins. She makes a run for the door, and the Goblin gets an opportunity attack as she turns to run. This opportunity attack exists as a penalty to the Ranger for leaving the Goblin’s melee range and interrupting the Goblin’s intended melee attack on its turn. If there were no opportunity attacks in standard 5e combat, there would be a severe disadvantage to melee attackers. In the SCS , however, all movements are resolved after all attacks. Even if the 6 DMG 6d6 DMG 17 7 25 13 16 24 19 MISS MISS HIT HIT HIT HIT HIT S P E L L S AT tac k s m o v e s + m i s c . R O U N D 3 Ranger runs away, the Goblin will attack before that happens and thus does not need the opportunity attack to make up for a lost melee attack. - Disengage Since there are no opportunity attacks in the SCS, the role of Disengage changes as well. In the SCS, Disengage moves the user back 5ft away from their attacker and out of melee range. Now, since Disengage falls into the Moves + Misc. resolution phase, the attacker could theoretically immediately pursue the Disengager to try to close the distance. Disengage, therefore, is primarily used to gain a head start when fl eeing from a melee attacker. *Note: since ner fi ng Disengage in this way mainly a ff ects Rogues and their Cunning Action, I usually home-brew a little bit here and give my Rogue PCs 10ft of extra movement speed. This adjustment makes the Rogue still have that feeling of extraordinary battle fi eld agility. This issue is also somewhat alleviated in the next section. - Dexterity Contests A fun opportunity that the SCS presents is dexterity contests during the Moves + Misc. phase. Suppose two creatures are racing towards the same goal or generally trying to be faster in their movements than their enemy. In that case, I love to employ a dexterity contest between the two creatures to determine who arrives at their destination fi rst. These dexterity contests should operate like any other skill contest. The involved parties roll a d20+their dexterity modi fi er. The higher total arrives at the destination fi rst or accomplishes a physical goal before their enemy. It could be argued that the lack of initiative in the SCS takes away advantage from creatures with high dexterity scores that would otherwise have a higher initiative bonus than others. This issue is somewhat alleviated, however, if the DM generously employs dexterity contests through combat encounters. Racing to close and bar a door before a horde of goblins breaks through?- dexterity contest. Rogue trying to pick a lock before a temple guard clubs them in the back?- dexterity contest. - Escaping Saving Throws All saving throws made to escape or resist a status e ff ect are resolved in the Spells resolution phase. These types of saves include a strength save to break free from Entangle; a wisdom save to break free from Hideous Laughter, etc. A saving throw made to resist a spell's initial casting is made immediately when the spell is cast during the Spell resolution phase. A saving throw made to escape from a status e ff ect already in place is made at the top of the order during the 1st Spell resolution phase in the round after the creature su ff ers the e ff ect. For example - an Evil Wizard casts Hideous Laughter on the party's Fighter, who immediately rolls and fails his saving throw. The spell takes e ff ect, and the Fighter is incapacitated for this round. The fi ght goes on around him as he cackles his brains out and can make no further actions this round. Before any other actions are taken, during the fi rst Spell resolution phase of the following round , the Fighter may make the saving throw to break free from the spell's e ff ects. - Spells Generally speaking, all spells that are cast during the Spell resolution phase happen simultaneously. That is to say if multiple creatures cast a spell in this phase both spells immediately take e ff ect. This changes, however, if a creature intends to use a spell cast as an action and a spell cast as a Bonus Action in the same Spell resolution phase. Naturally, the spell cast fi rst is resolved fi rst, and the spell cast second is resolved second. This only becomes tricky when competing with other spell- casters. Every spell cast fi rst is resolved and takes e ff ect, and then every spell cast second is resolved and takes e ff ect. This means that if a creature is casting two spells in one Spell resolution phase, it is possible for an enemy to cast a spell that prevents the creature from casting the second spell. An example: During heated combat, a Cleric and an evil Necromancer are exchanging fearsome spells. During the fi rst Spell resolution phase, the Cleric intends to cast Mass Healing Word on his party as a Bonus Action and then cast Banishment on the Necromancer as an action. The Necromancer intends to cast Hold Person on the Cleric as an action. Both spells cast fi rst take e ff ect immediately- The Cleric’s party is healed by Mass Healing Word for 1d4+4, and the Cleric rolls a wisdom saving throw to resist Hold Person and fails. The Cleric is instantly paralyzed and thus prevented from casting Banishment Things to Keep in Mind - Tactics The SCS fundamentally changes a lot about how combat and thus strategy works in D&D. I can’t begin to list, or even imagine, all the ways in which tactics might change because of the loss of initiative and turn-based combat altogether, but a few things come to mind. A large mechanic a ff ected in the SCS when thinking tactically as a PC is planning. You can no longer sit back and think about all the moves and actions that have happened leading up to this moment and then plan a whole turn accordingly. Additionally, you cannot count on being uninterrupted while you act out all your various plans. You are forced to think on your feet and immediately address your current situation. Meaning- your plans may suddenly change halfway through a round if you are suddenly charmed from afar, trigger a trap, or your intended target dies before you can get there! Another strategic element the SCS introduces is timing. In some cases, it may be bene fi cial to wait until later in the round when other combatants actions have played out to fi nally act. In other cases it may be a race against time to prevent some awful event from happening! - Exceptions The Simultaneous Combat System is a work in progress. I have done a lot of play-testing and tinkering to get it here, but there will always be edge-cases that throw a wrench in the works. As we all know, D&D- especially high-level play- is a game of exceptions. I'm positive that some scenarios, or spells, or feats, or mechanics break how the SCS works somehow. When you use the SCS, I would ask you to deal with these complications in the same way you deal will so much as a DM- make it up! This system is a home-brew endeavor that sometimes demands home-brew solutions. If you need to change and adapt the framework I've laid out here to your situation- do it! As long as you are transparent and fair with your players, you can all have a fantastic time! - DM Tips Here's a quick list of things that have helped while running an SCS game: - I mentioned this before but it’s a huge help- I always display the Action Cycle chart and a Round Tracker outside of my DM screen during encounters. I do this so the PCs and I know what round it is (this is very important and can quickly get confusing in the SCS), and so we all can keep the Action Cycle order in mind at all times. - While I roll my monster's attack rolls behind the screen, I almost always use standardized damages. Meaning- I don't roll for attack damage. I divide the maximum damage roll of a particular attack by 1/2, add the modi fi er, and use that number (1d10+4 = 5+4 = 9 DMG, e.g.). This tactic helps to streamline battle and speed things up. - Sometimes I o ff er my players a limited window before battle to learn info about their situation. I’ll give them 1-3 minutes on the clock to ask questions to the DM and learn as much info about their surroundings as possible- this includes rolling perception, investigation, history checks, etc. This time can give them some advantageous info about their enemies or environment, and the time limit keeps it high- pressure and high-stakes! - The SCS lends itself to Matthew Colville's "Action-Oriented Monsters" very well. You can have your monsters and PCs play by the same rules, or you can occasionally throw in extra legendary actions or lair actions whenever you want to make the battle feel extra dynamic and spicy! It's a balancing act- you don't want your PCs feeling like your just doing whatever the hell you want, but the right amount of the unexpected can be incredible! Final Thoughts If you’ve read this far, you’re probably considering trying this system out sometime. And I would say go for it! Get a few friends together and do a one- shot using the SCS. If you see some potential in it- great! If you hate it and want me arrested- great! At my table, the Simultaneous Combat System makes D&D as a whole more fast-paced, engaging, thrilling, unpredictable, immersive, and fun. What more could you want?! If you have any questions about the system, comments, suggestions, death threats, etc., please reach out to me on my Reddit: u/Objective_Peanut42 This is a living project, and I am constantly developing and shifting things around. If you have some thoughts on how to further develop the SCS, I’d love to hear them! Thanks for reading and happy rolling!