This informal example is part of my long-running True Game Mastery course. For a complete list of True Game Mastery lessons, visit the True Game Mastery Course Index.

Story time. Today, I’m telling you the story of a fight that never happened. But one that totally could have. And one I’m gonna pretend did.

When I taught you how True Game Masters manage combat, I promised an extended example of what combats look and sound like at my table. And that’s what you’re getting today: a combat that looks and sounds like one I’d run.

This example’s about pacing, flow, and narration, not mechanics. I’ll mention when I call for die rolls, but I’m not going to show you the math because the mechanics ain’t the point. And speaking of that, if you think you recognize the system I’m running in this example and think I got something wrong, that just makes the whole thing more authentic, doesn’t it? GMs get shit wrong and it doesn’t frigging matter.

Similarly, if you’re wondering why the players didn’t optimize their characters like you would or made tactical choices you wouldn’t, it’s because they’re playing their characters how they want to. And because players get shit wrong too. They do it all the time.

Also note that I’m dropping the screenplay format I usually use for examples and going with narrative prose instead. Screenplay format’s nice for short examples, but not for a story several thousand words long. I’m also going to separate the rounds with headings, but that’s more for readability and to give me a place to put graphics. The system I’m running uses a fairly standard cyclical initiative. It doesn’t care where rounds end and neither do I. I don’t stop the flow from one round to the next and you shouldn’t either.

Enough preamble crap. It’s story time…

Once Upon a Time

To show you how we True Game Masters manage combats, let me tell you about this fight I ran the other night. My players — Adam, Beth, Chris, and Danielle; I’ve mentioned them before — ran into some trouble that turned into a double ambush. And thus it’s a great example of how and when to slip into your system’s mechanical Initiative and Turn Order when you’ve got unaware combats and chaos.

The Dramatic Personages

The party…

Adam’s playing Ardrick. He’s a noble-born fighter type. Sword and board, noble, proud, all that crap.

Beth’s an elf wizard named Beryllia. Beth insists she wants to play with illusions and enchantments, but her spell list is a hodgepodge and she turns into an impulsive blaster type as soon as the dice come out. You can’t trust anything players say about their characters.

Chris is a smartass playing Cabe, a smartass halfling rogue. I know that’s triply redundant. I’ve had to reign his behavior in a lot. He’s the sort of guy who writes chaotic neutral if you tell him evil’s not allowed, but he’s a decent team player when push comes to shove, so I cut him some slack.

Danielle’s playing a bog-standard cleric of light and goodness and all that crap. If they remade Nodwick as a serious, epic fantasy, she’d be Piffany. But she ain’t doing it because it’s the default assumption; she genuinely wants to play exactly what she’s playing and it shows. She and Adam often end up as party Mommy and Daddy if you know what I mean.

The characters are around third level… I think. Something like that. And some of you are gonna think I don’t know how to balance an encounter, but that’s just because you’re a bunch of sissies afraid to make your players sweat. My players earn their wins and they’ve gotten good at it, even if they’re a bit impulsive at times. Especially Chris.

That’s what I’m stuck with. Not a bad group, honestly, and it’s not like there are a lot of players who’ll put up with my shit and keep coming back.

The Setup

So the party’s exploring this cave network, right, looking for a thing. They don’t know there’s an evil cultist warlock exploring the same caves and looking for the same thing. This is the first hint they’re gonna have that there’s an evil cult working behind the scenes and the warlock’s got evil letters from his evil boss talking about the evil cult’s evil plans because they’ve all read Villainy for Dummies. If the heroes kill the warlock and go through his pockets, it’ll establish the background plot.

The warlock’s bullied a bugbear into playing bodyguard and he’s teamed up with a goblin tribe.

The party’s tromping along, arguing as they do, when they come around a blind curve into a cavern. The warlock’s there with his bugbear buddy, a goblin shaman, and a few goblin skirmishers. Since he hears the party coming, he tells his goblins to hide in the side passages, hidden by stalagmites and columns, while he sizes up the opposition and decides what to do.

Obviously, as the party comes in, I roll sneaky-type checks against awareness scores and all that shit. The party has no idea the goblins are about. Sucks for them.

Now starts the verbal cat and mouse. Neither party’s overtly hostile; each is wondering if the other’s just an adventuring ship passing in the night-dark cave. The warlock’s blood-red-with-skulls fashion motif and his hulking goblinoid buddy are giving Danae a case of the bad vibes, and Ardrick’s throwing out questions, but the warlock’s dodging the questions and doing the live-and-let-live thing. The warlock doesn’t know the party’s looking for the same thing he is, but he’s suspicious.

Really, the players have no idea what the hell they’re doing. They’re talking with no clear goal in mind. Meanwhile, the warlock’s decided the party should die — their gear’s valuable and he doesn’t need do-gooders near his evil schemes — so he’s trying to drag out the conversation until the heroes let their guards down and come fully into the cave so he can order an ambush.

Round Zero

Here’s the layout just before shit hits the fan…

 

Since the warlock’s trying to deceive the party — keep them talking and pull them forward — I make a bluff-type check. It’s good, but Cabe — and Cabe alone — is intuitive enough to notice something’s up. Since Cabe’s reaction might tell the warlock the jig is up and lead to a fight, I pull Chris away from the table to break the news.

“Here’s the deal,” I say. “The robed guy is dragging this out. Cabe can tell he’s not listening, but he’s keeping Ardrick and Danae talking anyway. And he also keeps taking little steps back and pulling his hulk buddy with him. Ardrick and Danae keep stepping forward unconsciously. He’s up to something.”

Chris thinks this over.

“Is he, like, trying to pull us in and keep us distracted,” he asks.

“That’s one possibility,” I say. “It matches what he’s doing.”

We go back to the table. Chris sits down, carefully weighing this in his mind. He’s obviously trying to figure out how to subtly signal his allies that they’re being played without letting the warlock know he’s been made.

“Cabe throws a knife at the robe guy’s throat,” Chris says suddenly.

“What,” explains Beth, while Adam says, “dammit Chris!”

I shut them both up. “Chris, Cabe is taking out a knife and throwing it at the stranger? Is that right?”

“Yeah,” Chris says. “Only, sneaky. Look, Cabe flips one of his trademark daggers from his sleeve secretly, all right? He doesn’t want anyone to see what he’s doing. And then, thwip, right?”

I nod. “Gotcha.” I know Cabe’s proficient in Deception, so I make a Dexterity check on his behalf and apply his Proficiency Bonus. I check the result against everyone’s Perception, friend and foe alike. No one sees him palm the dagger until it’s too late and the blade is flying. Except for the Goblin Shaman. Oops.

“Chris,” I say, “would you roll Initiative for Cabe, please?” He does and I roll for the Goblin Shaman. I’ve got to resolve whether the Goblin Shaman is quick enough to act before Cabe’s dagger flies or if the dagger’s already in the air before the Shaman can act. This ain’t the same, by the way, as starting a combat.

The Shaman goes first, so I next ask everyone to roll a Strength Save. Which is making everyone really nervous. They don’t know I’m resolving actions behind the screen so I can describe how it all plays out in one go. Everyone rattles off their Save results — Ardrick and Beryllia are good — and I’m ready to resolve Cabe’s action.

“Ardrick was just agreeing that the parties can pass by and go on their ways, much to Danae’s chagrin. As the robed stranger smiles, nods, and extends a hand, beckoning Ardrick to approach, a high-pitched voice from the right shrieks, ‘Naz razar azak!’ Tiny cracks split the bare earth beneath the party’s feat and fungal tendrils burst forth with astonishing speed. The rhizomes thicken and swell as they enwrap your boots and leggings, holding you fast. Ardrick, already in midstep, tears himself free with a lurch, while Danae kicks her legs and the roots slide off her chainmail greaves. Beryllia and Cabe are held fast, rooted to the spot. Rooted to the spot, Cabe can’t shift his weight properly as he throws! Chris, attack with Disadvantage!”

Chris hits, but the damage sucks. And it’s not enough to overcome the defensive spell the warlock had cast in advance.

“Cabe’s dagger spins through the air, flying true, but the air around the dagger thickens with frost and mist. The dagger’s handle strikes his shoulder without a mark and clatters to the ground coated in a patina of frost. Clearly, the stranger has some kind of cold-based magical shield in place.”

“Chris, you idiot,” Beth blurts out. Chris says, “That guy was playing you dummies. You’re lucky I saw…”

“You don’t have time to argue,” I say loudly, steamrolling the conversation. “Beryllia and Cabe are ensnared by the thick mass of fungal creepers that cover the ground here. Ardrick and Danae are free, but the footing is still difficult all around. You all heard high-pitched gibberish from behind the rock formations over there, but can’t see what might be hiding. Meanwhile, Cabe launched a dagger at the robed stranger.”

“And he’s got more to follow,” Chris says.

“… and Cabe has a glint in his eye that says he’s not done yet. The stranger seems as surprised as the rest of you. He screams, ‘You worms were supposed to wait!’ His brutish partner is grinning maliciously and hefting his viciously-spiked morningstar.”

“Adam,” I say, “what’s Ardrick doing? He’s front and center.”

“Ardrick will draw his long sword, raise his shield, and meet the bodyguard,” Adam says.

“Right,” I say, “Danielle?”

Danielle thinks for a moment. “’Scoundrel,’” she says. “’You meant to ambush us.’ I brandish my golden symbol of Pelor, ready to cast a spell.”

“Ardrick and Danae mean to fight. Beth, is Beryllia joining the fray?”

“Yeah,” Beth says. “I’ll… let me look at my spell list…”

“Good enough,” I say, “Beryllia considers her options as her allies launch themselves into battle. Initiative Rolls, please; all but Cabe.” I’m keeping Cabe’s and the Shaman’s Initiative Rolls as they’ve already been determined.

Round One

The battle lines are drawn and they look like this…

The green square shows the area of the Shaman’s entangle spell, which has Cabe and Beryllia Restrained and counts as Difficult Terrain.

The party can’t see the goblins yet, but they know something is lurking off to the right behind the rock formations.

And Initiative lands like this…

• 19 Beryllia
• 17 Shaman
• 15 Cabe
• 14 Bugbear
• 12 Ardrick
• 8 Warlock
• 7 Danae
• 5 Goblins

“Beryllia’s elven alacrity and keen focus serve her well, but she’s restrained by a mass of fungal vines. The bugbear is advancing at the party and the stranger is shouting to unseen allies, it seems. What does Beryllia do, Beth?”

“Can I cast spells while I’m stuck in this stuff,” she asks.

“Yes. But you’ll have Disadvantage on spells that require Attack Rolls.”

“Okay, misty step out of the plants. I want to teleport by the rocks and see if I can spot the spellcaster.”

“Beryllia twists her body as she speaks the words of power. She vanishes and then steps from nothing a few feet away. She sees two small humanoids crouched in the shadows. They’re broad-faced, ruddy-skinned, and vicious looking. One is draped in reptile hides and holds a spear, though he seems as surprised as everyone else. The other is hold a nobby carved staff and wears rough-spun linen. He has a fetish around his neck made of spiny nodules like oversized burrs or chestnut casings. Goblins.”

“That’s a bonus action,” says Beth, “right? So I can cast magic missile.”

“It is, but you can only follow a Bonus Action spell with a Cantrip. You can’t string together multiple complex spells.”

“That’s dumb. Fine. Ray of frost.”

“Berryllia casts ray of frost? What is she targeting?”

“The obvious goblin wizard thing with the staff.”

I sigh and then ask her to roll the dice.

“Beryllia emerges from misty nothingness, quickly noting the two goblins. Before her trailing leg has fully materialized, she sends a ray of ice-blue energy from an outstretched finger. The goblin drops his staff as he’s struck in the chest, clutching his throat and trying to draw air into frozen lungs. He drops to his knees and then falls forward. Dead. The vines ensnaring the party vanish in a cloud of earthy-smelling spores that fade from existence before they hit the ground.”

“Beth,” I say, “does Beryllia stay where she is?”

“No way,” she says. “I’m moving past Cabe and putting my back to the wall.”

“Does she warn the party about the other lurking goblin?”

“Yeah.”

“Cabe finds himself freed as Beryllia appears before him, throws magical energy into the darkness, and then dashes past warning of goblins hidden in the shadows. What does he do, Chris?”

“I hate being outsneaked,” Chris says. “Cabe runs over to where Beryllia was and into the rock formation and then…”

“And as he darts between the jagged, rocky fangs he sees the goblin with the spear crouching there,” I interrupt.

“Not for long. Stabby stabby!”

As I understand Cabe’s intent and his approach — he wants to kill the goblin with his daggers — there’s no need for me to clarify his action. I ask for Attack Rolls and both miss.

“Crap,” says Chris, as the second die hits the table.

“Cabe lunges between the rocks, the goblin dodges aside, using them for cover, and Cabe’s dagger alights sparks as he strikes limestone.”

“Meanwhile,” I continue, “Ardrick and Danae are readying themselves to fight, but the overeager bugbear charges forward.”

Everyone goes silent as my dice hit the table and a 20 comes up. A crit. I roll hefty damage and then continue.

“The brute’s battlecry becomes a triumphant scream as he brings his morningstar around in a mighty sweep before Ardrick can get his shield into position. Ardrick’s breastplate dents, the spikes puncturing it and tearing into his skin beneath as his ribs crack with the force of the blow.”

“Shit,” Adam says, “that’s Ardrick staggered. But he grits his teeth and says, ‘Don’t worry about me!’ He yells at Danae to get the robed guy.”

“Ardrick keeps his feet despite the mighty blow. The bugbear is readying another attack, but as he does Ardrick… does what, Adam?”

“Ardrick gathers himself with a second wind and then, to buy Danae an opening, he taunts the bugbear and attacks with his longsword. ‘Is that it? I’ve had ale that hits harder.’ That’s a goading strike. If the bugbear fails his save, he’ll have Disadvantage on attacks against anyone but Ardrick. And Ardrick is no longer staggered.”

We throw some dice to resolve things.

“Ardrick’s taunt — and his attack — enrage the beast, a tactic I’m sure he won’t come to regret when the bugbear brings his next attack to bear. But his shout has drawn the robed figure’s attention to Danae. Realizing he’s about to get rushed, the stranger throws an open-palmed hand in her direction and utters a word that you can’t understand but that leaves you all with a pain in your ears. Danae feels a cloying, oily sensation that leaves her skin crawling and her muscles weak.”

I throw some more dice and continue.

“Before she can react to the first spell, a second follows it. A crackling gout of energy streaks from the stranger’s hand. Danae barely raises her shield in time, but she does and the magical energy explodes against it.”

“As Danae recovers from the magical assault, the robed figure backpedals. He looks frantically to either side and snarls, ‘You worthless worms, protect me!’ But Danae is already…”

Taking my cue, Danielle says, “’Your dark magic will not snuff out my light, warlock!’ I advance on the figure, but slowly. I stop midway and raise my holy symbol. ‘Gods of light and life, protect my allies in their need,’ I say. I cast aid on Ardrick, Beryllia, and Cabe.”

“Hold up,” I say, “Danae steps forth, issuing her challenges. The bugbear’s furious attention is focused on Ardrick harrying him, but he takes a swipe at Danae as she moves close.”

“Ardrick refuses him an opening and the attack falls wide of the mark. Danae calls down the gods’ blessings on her allies. Ardrick, Beryllia, and Cabe each gain five Hit Points, and their Hit Point Maximums increase by five as well.”

“Unfortunately,” I continue, “the warlock has other allies waiting in the wings. A sling bullet whistles from her Danae, striking Danae’s shoulder painfully. She catches sight of a goblin retreating into the shadows of the rocks and loses track of him. That distraction allows another goblin to leap from her right and charge. Her chain hauberk absorbs most of the blow, but the spear point bites through her armor, the padding beneath, and her flesh.”

“Meanwhile, the goblin dueling Cabe amongst the rocks attempts to impale him, but Cabe proves nimble on the defense and sidesteps the attack. As he does so, the goblin nimbly jumps backward out of reach and then backs up the passage.”

“Hey,” Chris says, “don’t I get an opportunity attack?”

“Goblins are nimble bastards,” I say. “Cabe can give chase in a moment. But first…”

Round Two

“Cabe can give chase in a moment. But first, Beryllia has a good vantage point on the fight. Cabe is fighting a goblin amongst the rock formations to the right, out of sight, while Ardrick battles the hulking bugbear, sword singing, and morningstar crashing. Danae is charging at the robed figure, resisting his magical assault, but a goblin leaps from a side passage to attack. The cleric’s blessing leaves her invigorated, what does Beryllia do, Beth?”

“Is Adam still hurt?”

“Ardrick,” I say pointedly, “has taken a powerful blow, but it’s not slowing him down. The bugbear does seem powerful though.”

“Ray of enfeeblement and then I get close to Ardrick in case other goblins are coming.”

“Beryllia casts ray of enfeeblement on what, Beth?”

“That barbarian Adam is fighting,” Beth says, exasperated.

“Roll a Spell Attack, please.”

“Dang,” she says when she sees the die roll.

“Beryllia’s miasma of dark energy swirls past Ardrick and evaporates against the bugbear. He doesn’t seem slowed by the spell at all. Beryllia then advances, keeping Ardrick between her and the bugbear. And what does Cabe, do, Chris, about the goblin withdrawing up the passage.”

“Ardrick calls to Cabe to back Danae up,” Adam says suddenly.

“Cabe hears Ardrick calling out. Danae needs help. What does he do, Chris?”

Chris says, “She can handle a goblin and I’ve got my own. I’m charging and spinning away with my blades, cutting that goblin up.”

Both attacks hit this time and the second is enough to kill the goblin.

“Cabe gets in close, avoiding the goblin’s spear and then striking once… twice… the goblin goes down with a strangled cry and a spray of rust-colored ichor!”

“Nice,” exclaims Beth.

Chris shoots her a grin and says, “And Cabe’s not done. He acts… cunning… ly? I use cunning action and run up the side passage.”

“Cabe doesn’t respond to Ardrick’s shout, but the bugbear takes advantage of Ardrick’s momentary distraction. He chokes up on his morningstar’s long haft and drives its sword-like thrusting point in Ardrick’s breastplate. Ardrick twists, taking it at an angle that prevents a killing blow, and the pain is dulled by the divine vigor empowering him, but it hurts nonetheless. As the bugbear draws back…”

“Ardrick lunges with his longsword,” Adam says. “It’s Ardrick’s turn, right? That’s why you paused?”

“You know me and my pauses so well,” I say.

“Oh just kiss already and get it over with you, two,” Beth says.

“Okay, Ardrick attacks with his longsword. Give me an attack roll, Adam.”

Adam says, “Ardrick doffs his shield and adopts a two-handed grip on his longsword since the bugbear moved in close. He lunges with a thrust of his own. Ardrick also yells at Danae. ‘We’ve got your back! Don’t give up!’ Ardrick expends a superiority die to rally Danae.”

“Got it. Roll the dice.”

Adam lands a solid, high-damage hit but his superiority die is a dud.

“Ardrick lunges and the hulk tries to use his morningstar’s haft to deflect the blow, be he deflects deep into his own thigh. He screams in agony, his reeking breath filling Ardrick’s nostrils as the melee becomes a close-quarters struggle. The bugbear is favoring his leg, the wound bleeding free. It’s staggered.”

“Danae, meanwhile,” I continue, “barely hears Ardrick as she’s slammed by another bolt of energy. The blast enflames the clinging, oily sense of wrongness. Her body burns in pain.”

“That damage staggers me,” Danielle says, “despite Ardrick’s rallying cry.”

“Thank you,” I say. “Danae’s flesh assumes a sickly pallor; the onslaught is taking its toll on her. Does she give up,” I ask Danielle, inviting her to act.

“I don’t. I let my holy symbol drop to hang around my neck and raise my mace from its hanger. I don’t spare the goblin a glance as I press forward toward the warlock, though I know the goblin will probably attack me.”

I nod. “He does, snarling, but he’s dazzled by the magical blasts pummeling Danae and his spear glances off her mail. What does she do, Danielle?”

“I trust the gods to guide my attack as I swing my mace at the warlock.”

“Roll for it,” I say, and then, “as Danae brings her mace to bear, the air becomes icy cold around her and the warlock both. It’s like swinging against a gale. The frigid cold bites at Danae and then, all at once, the frost and cold are gone. The blow presses the warlock back though the spell absorbed most of its force as it failed and he blinks in surprise. Fear shows on his face.”

“A high-pitched shriek,” I say, “comes from the shadows to the left, followed by a sling bullet from the hidden goblin that strikes Cabe. Danae’s blessing keeps it from slowing the halfling down. Alerted by the warning, the other goblin recovers from attacking Danae and whirls to see Cabe coming from the passage. He lunges and Cabe ducks low and tumbles aside, avoiding the spear. Meanwhile, the hidden goblin tosses its sling aside and moves to protect its master, spear ready.”

Round Three

“In the center of the cave, Ardrick remains locked in battle with the bugbear. Though the fighter is still going strong, the bugbear is clearly weakening and his thigh is gushing blood. Beryllia has an excellent vantage point nearby and can also see Danae battling the warlock, her every movement slow and pained. A goblin harries her while another has engaged with Cabe in the side passage. Beth, what does Beryllia do?”

“I peek around Adam’s guy and magic missile the goblins,” she says. Then, seeing my expression, she hastily adds, “I cast magic missile. I throw two at the goblin fighting Danielle’s cleric and one at the dude attacking Chris.”

“Okay,” I say, “thank you. Roll for damage.”

Beth lets the dice tumble and sighs. “I can’t roll for crap tonight.”

“Hey,” Chris says, “you downed that goblin wizard with one spell and freed us from the vines. That was awesome.”

“With three complex turns of her hand,” I say, “Beryllia conjures three motes of golden energy and sends them forth. Two strike the goblin as it charges Danae, bursting against its reptile-hide armor and winding it, but not downing it. The third strikes his ally in the side. The goblin spits a curse, ‘yaz az’grak’, as it, too, is thrown off balance. Both are staggered. Does Cabe take advantage of the distraction?”

“Nope,” Chris says with a grin.

“Chris,” Adam says, warningly, and Beth says, “What are you doing, Chris?”

I clear my throat. “Are you all letting your guard down to discuss your tactics?” My players give me sheepish looks. “What is Cabe doing, Chris?”

“Cabe attacks the goblin with the dagger in his main hand.”

I nod and, at my gesture, Chris rolls to hit.

“A solid blow, and with Danae standing right there and the goblin distracted by both her and Beryllia’s spell, you can sneak attack.”

Chris shakes his head. “Nope.”

“Okay,” I say. “The goblin curses Beryllia as the spell hits him, then turns his head just in time to see the halfling coming right for him. Cabe’s blade splits his hide armor and opens his belly. The goblin drops his spear and follows it to the ground a moment later.”

“And now…” Chris says, “I want to spring suddenly over the goblin right next to Danae and catch the warlock by surprise with the dagger in my other hand.” Adam appears relieved, Beth says, “Nice!” and Danielle is a stone, lost in her own imagination.

Chris’ rolls are only average, but average is enough.

“Cabe vaults the goblin as it falls, leaping at the warlock. His eyes go wide with panic as the tiny dervish hurtles at him. He raises his hands to cover his face, but too late. Blood spills from his throat and he drops to his knees, choking out one last breath.”

“Through gritted teeth and with labored breath,” Danielle says, “I say, ‘impeccable timing as always, my tiny friend.’”

“Cabe tips an imaginary cap, but he can’t stick around. Cunning action,” says Chris. “I move to backstab me a bugbear. I can’t get there, but I can get close.”

“Cabe springs away from the dead warlock, hustling toward Ardrick’s melee. The last goblin takes a stunned step back, meanwhile, his arms dropping limply as he stares at the fallen warlock and then at Danae. Terror fills his beady, yellow eyes. His morale is broken.”

“Meanwhile,” I add, “the bugbear elbows Ardrick in the face, driving him back to get enough room for a checked morningstar swing.” I roll for the attack and damage.

“Checked or not, that staggers Ardrick,” Adam says. “Is it my turn?” When I nod, he continues, “Ardricke brings his longsword around, still swinging with both hands. Let me see if he can take this bastard’s head off.”

The dice say he cannot.

“The bugbear and Ardrick remain locked in mortal combat, both fighters sagging from the punishment they’ve taken. Cabe is dashing to join the fray. The goblin has lost his will to fight and is staring, terrified, at Danae. What does she do, Danielle?”

“I hold my mace in my shield hand and clutch my holy symbol as I walk away from the goblin. ‘Pelor, light of life, let us live to fight another day.’ I channel divinity to preserve life, dividing the healing between myself and Ardrick.”

Hit points are adjusted as I describe the brief illumination and the motes of golden light shimmering around the fighter and the cleric, closing their wounds and dulling their pain.”

“Suddenly ignored,” I say, “the goblin licks his lips nervously and looks at the body of the warlock, then furtively glances at the nearby duel attracting the heroes’ attention. Finally, he scrambles to the robed corpse and begins rooting through the warlock’s pack and pouches.”

“Oh hell no,” says Chris. “That’s mine. Ours.”

Round 4

“Oh hell no,” says Chris. “That’s mine. Ours.”

Ignoring Chris for the time being, I turn to Beth. “As the goblin loots the fallen warlock, Ardrick remains locked in battle with the bugbear. Beryllia is standing nearby. Ardrick is looking recovered thanks to Danae’s magic. The bugbear is wounded but enraged, and won’t give up the fight. What does Beryllia do, Beth.”

“I don’t want to waste any more…” Beth says, trailing off and studying her character sheet. “I… uhh… wait! I help with my longsword. Can I do that?”

“How do you want to help, Beth,” I ask. “And who do you want to help?”

“I can’t kill that thing,” Beth says, “but Adam’s guy can probably finish it with one more hit. Can I help him hit? Or protect him? Wait, he’s okay now because of Danielle’s magic. Can I help him attack?”

“You can,” I say, “but Cabe will have an opportunity to attack first. He’s hurrying over.”

“Like hell I am,” says Chris. “I’ve got a goblin thief to gank. The bugbear’s all yours.”

“Dammit, Chris,” says Adam, but I shush him and turn back to Beth. “Is that what Beryllia does? Does she join the fight and distract the bugbear to give Ardrick an opening to attack?”

“Yeah,” Beth says, “that sounds good. What do I roll?”

“Nothing,” I say. “There’s no roll needed. Beryllia draws her elegantly curved elven backsword and moves up beside Ardrick. The creature snarls at her. Beryllia keeps her guard up and keeps her distance, feinting and dancing away while Ardrick looks for his opening. Chris, what does Cabe do while they’re fighting?”

“I told you,” Chris says. “I’m ganking a goblin. Daggers out, I charge and attack.”

Two quick dice rolls are all it takes to resolve that. But before I can say more than, “The goblin falls…” Chris interrupts.

“Cabe loots the warlock.”

“And Cabe kneels to loot the robed stranger. The bugbear, meanwhile, swings wildly and clumsily, and Ardrick ducks and weaves. Beryillia drubs him on the side and as he turns to swat her away, Ardrick sees an open line. What does he do, Adam?”

“Ardrick tries to run him through with his longsword.”

“Attack with advantage,” I say. And with a clatter of dice, the battle ends.

And that is how you narrate a combat.