Additional Combat Tactics

There are a lot of very fun options your character can use during combat to change up the flow of the battle. Below are some options for you to consider as you go about wackin' and weavin'.

Take it slow, there's a lot here! You definitely do not need to memorize this page; that's why it's here to reference. Try scrolling through to get some ideas of what options there are, bookmark it for your next tricky scrap, and don't be afraid to propose something to the DM outside of this list.

Actions

Initiative Rush

At the end of your combat turn, you may announce that you want to rush your next turn. If you do so, raise your Initiative for the duration of the combat by 2 + Dexterity modifier (minimum of 1). On your next turn after rushing, choose one of the following effects:

• Your first attack is at disadvantage

• Movement speed is halved during the turn, rounded down

• Bonus actions and class abilities can't be used this turn

Non-Lethal Damage

• A player must declare an attack to be intentionally non-lethal BEFORE damage is rolled. However, a player may say all damage to a specific creature or during an encounter is non-lethal in order to not need to declare each time. Non-lethal damage declarations can be rescinded at any time.

• Non-lethal damage may not be declared if the player is unable to Concentrate (such as if they are maintaining a Concentration-required spell at the time)

• Critical hits cannot be considered non-lethal damage (at DM's discretion, ex: an unarmed strike by someone untrained in punching).

• Certain attacks may never be considered non-lethal (ex: an explosive bomb) at DM's discretion.

Power Attack

A character may choose to take a -5 to their melee or unarmed attack roll in order to add +10 to their damage, representing a reckless but powerful hit.

A character can also do this if they are proficient in a weapon, taking a penalty equal to their proficiency bonus to add the same amount to the damage. (Higher proficiency? Trickier shot but greater payoff!)

Hop on Top

A creature can try to jump on top of another creature for a combat advantage (or to just get out of its way!) by attempting to grapple it.

To climb onto another creature, the character must move within 5 feet of their target and make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested against the target's (using whichever skill DM and player agree fits).

In cases where the creatures have 2+ size differences (a Tiny hopping on a Large, for instance) the contest may be harder for the one climbing or the one being climbed, depending on circumstances. (Sometimes a character is extra slippery and squirrelly, or a creature is just that much stronger.)

If the character attempting the grapple loses, consequences may include an attack of opportunity by their target or falling prone.

If the grappling character succeeds, they are now atop their target, in that creature's space and clinging to its body. During this time, the character has advantage on attacks to the creature and moves with it. If the creature is large enough (over 1 square/5 feet in size) the climber may move around the creature, treating it as difficult terrain.

The creature being climbed may try to attack the climber, at DM's discretion depending on location/size. The creature may also try to dislodge its climber as an action, such as knocking them off, scraping them on a wall, grabbing and throwing them etc. The creature makes an Athletics check contested by the climber's Athletics or Acrobatics check (climber's choice).

Reactions

There are a variety of actions that a character should be able to do as a reaction in combat that are not covered in the original game rules that I want to extend to players. As with all others on this list, this is not an exhaustive list and you don't have to memorize it now. Give it a once-over and don't be afraid to ask about other options if they come to mind.

Ledge Grab

You can make a Ledge Grab anytime you are falling. To make a Ledge Grab, you use your reaction to grab an object within your reach. Make a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check against a DC determined by your DM based on your target and the circumstances. On a success, you grapple the object, potentially halting or slowing your fall.

A few examples of DCs for grabbing various objects, as well as circumstances that may affect the grab:
Rope: DC 5-8
Root/Branch: DC 8-10
Ledge: DC 10
Fabric: DC 12-15
Thin Wire: DC 18-20

Strong Wind: DC +2
Strong Current (Water etc.): DC +3-5

• Grab On!: A variant of Ledge Grab for using a willing creature to stop the fall.. You can use Grab On if you are the falling person OR the rescuer and the person is within range (typically 5 feet) and willing. The falling person uses their reaction to grab on and the grounded person either falls with the other OR attempts a Strength saving throw to halt the fall. The saving throw DC depends on the difference in size between the creatures, as well as whether or not the person is anchored in some way (ex: another creature, a rope tether).
  If a target creature is helpless or willing but unable to use their reaction, then you can treat them like an object as under Ledge Grab. If you are the falling creature and they are the grounded creature, then on a successful check they are pulled over and fall with you unless they are anchored to the ground in some way.

• You're Coming with Me!: A variant of Grab On! where the falling person attempts to grapple and drag down a hostile creature. Make a contested Grapple roll against the creature. They roll a contested Strength saving throw to fight the grapple and on a failed save are brought down with the falling character.

• Get Back!: When another creature within your reach is the target of something incoming (a projectile, a tackle) that you can see, you can attempt to shove them out of the way (closer to or further from you). If they are willing or helpless, you automatically succeed, but if they are hostile, you make a contested Strength roll against them to move them. On a success, they move 5 feet in whichever direction you choose, to an unoccupied space 5 feet from their starting location.
  Note! If they were the target of a melee attack, the attacker can redirect the attack to another person within range instead.
  You can also do this to throw yourself into harm's way instead of them, moving you into the creature's original position on a successful shove. If they were the target of an attack, you are now the target.

Catch!

As a reaction, you may attempt to catch a Tiny object thrown within your reach, either catching it outright or intercepting it.

If the object is thrown toward you and intended for you, you may catch it without a check if it is within 10 feet. Otherwise, the range of the object being thrown is 30 + (thrower's Strength modifer x 10). Catching an object at this range is a DC 10 Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check. An object may be thrown further than this range at a disadvantage, with the limit of the throw being 3 times the character's originally calculated range.

• Interception: A character within reach of the item between the thrower and catcher may attempt to intercept the item by making the same DC 10 check but with disadvantage.

• Throwing Style: The thrower can increase or decrease the DC of the catch by throwing it in different styles. Underhand tosses lower the DC by 5, overhand tosses do not affect the throw, and trick throws (any throw intentionally making the catch difficult, such a as a curve or fastball) increase the DC by 5.

• Sleight of Hand proficiency: A thrower with SoH proficiency can choose to decrease the DC for the catcher by 5 or increase it by 5 for interceptors. A catcher proficient in SoH can decrease the DC of the catch by 5.

• Thrown weapons can technically be caught, but the DC will be much higher, potentially as high as 15-20 depending on if the item has the thrown weapon property or is thrown correctly/with proficiency.

• Free-falling objects of Small or smaller size can be caught with a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) check against a DC determined by the DM based on factors such as the size, shape, weight distribution, and speed of the object.

Sneak Attacks

These are some additional actions a character engaging in a sneak attack may try.

Gag Mouth

Once you successfully Grapple a creature, as a bonus action you to attempt to gag it to prevent it from making sounds.

Make an extra Grapple check. If you succeed, the creature is gagged and:

• Cannot cast spells with verbal components

• Speech is muffled and cannot be understood

These conditions end when the grapple ends.

Choke Hold

Successfully Grappling a creature at the neck or other vital spot, make an additional Grapple check at disadvantage to attempt choking it unconscious or dead.

If you succeed, your hands start cutting the flow of air. On the creature’s next turn, you make a Strength (Athletics) check contested against their Athletics or Acrobatics. If the creature succeeds, the Grapple is broken. If it fails, it is Suffocating.

Silent Takedown

Using a silent weapon, attempt to incapacitate an unaware creature through force or with tools such as a garrote. A creature must be Surprised or incapable of taking actions/reactions. Attempt a weapon attack using your Dex modifier or a chokehold with a Str (Athletics) check; DC is equal to 10 + the creature's Hit Dice.

If you succeed, the target creature is considered Grappled, Gagged, and Suffocating & suffers disadvantage on their first check to break the Grapple.

Drag

On a successful grapple, spend your action and attempt a DC 10 Str check to drag a creature of your size, at a rate of up to half your movement speed; DC + 5 for creatures one size category larger and -5 for creatures one smaller. You cannot drag a creature more than two sizes larger than your own. Two or more creatures can Drag together to gain advantage and only require one success.

If the creature is not paralyzed, unconscious or restrained, it can attempt a contested Strength check on its turn to free from the grapple.

Coup de Grace

Conditions such as Paralyzed, Unconscious, or Sleeping that grant automatic critical hits against humanoid creatures allow you to deal one final blow that kills the target.

When you make an attack that qualifies as an automatic critical hit, roll a regular Attack roll. If you hit the target's AC minus Dexterity modifier, the creature takes damage equal to its current HP and is dying. If you do not hit, the creature instead takes damage equal to half its current HP.