First Published 1 March 2018 | Last Updated 24 May 2021

Combat can sometimes be the most fun part of the game, but it is also the most complex.

In the simplest terms, combat plays out like this -

• All creatures in combat have an armor class. For you this will be mainly based on the armor you are wearing. For a creature it could be it's tough scales or leathery skin.
• The order everyone gets to attack in (including your enemies) gets determined first via a dice roll. This is called initiative order.
• When it is your turn your character uses an ability (such as strength or dexterity) to use a weapon. You first roll a dice to see if you hit anything, because combat can be pretty chaotic. Your roll needs to beat your enemy's armor class number.
• If you do hit, the weapon you are using does a certain amount of damage (depending what it is), rolled on a dice. After a couple of other things are added (such as strength or dexterity) you have a number that represents the damage you have done. That number is taken away from your enemy's hit points.
• This process repeats again and again for each character and enemy until the battle ends - or someone runs away!

One other thing - combat doesn't just have to be with weapons. There are also many very powerful spells available. Let's talk about that next.

< What other Creatures are there? | How do I cast Spells? >

Further Information

This is a list of further articles you may wish to read before returning here. These articles will open in a new browser window.

• The Combat Round