Region-based combat

The goal of this system is to facilitate gridless, theatre-of-the-mind combat for D&D 5e. Ensuring this type of combat runs smoothly and quickly requires both the DM and the players to be clear about positioning and the options at their disposal.

The combat map reimainged

When initiative is called for, rather than laying down a battlemap or booting up a VTT, the DM exposits the scene. The layout is broken down into carefully described regions - these are the key to this style of combat, as these regions form the basis for the decisions being made by the players and DM. Usually you don't want to go beyond five or so regions, as doing so can complicate matters, though you can add as many regions as you like as the combat evolves. Each of these regions will have tags associated with it that give that region a flavor and utility different to those around it. These tags inform the players what their options are within that region.

Sample exposition You come across a crude campsite; the source of the smell of burning flesh is clear to you now, with a humanoid form silhouetted on a spit over the fire. You can see four gnolls milling about this central area, snapping at each other in their impatience for their meal. Beyond the campsite is a cleared, flat area with a crude altar on it made of bone and sticks. Where you are now, and on either side of the central fire area, there is dense forest. Ok, so, there are 5 regions at play here; the central area has a hazard with the fire pit. The forest areas that flank the central area on three sides are strewn with forest debris and the area near the altar beyond the central fire area is desecrated. All four enemies are in the central area. What do you do?

Combat within regions

Every creature within a region is considered to be within melee range of every other creature in that region. For this reason, regions should be relatively small - around 20ft by 20ft works. This means that combat is less about standing in one spot and attacking until an adjacent enemy is dead; instead, combat is free-flowing and dynamic as you may have access to a number of enemies, and they have access to you.

Opportunity attacks

Now that an entire region is within melee range, opportunity attacks work a little differently. Creatures can only make an opportunity attack against a creature leaving a region they share. Further, only one creature in the original region can make an opportunity attack. If more than one creature hostile to the moving creature is present, another may spend their reaction to give the attacking creature advantage.

Firing into regions

When in the midst of battle, loosing an arrow or firebolt can be dangeous; and not just for one's enemies. When a creature fires a single target attack into a region in which they have allies and they miss, they must then roll the same attack against a random ally in that region. This has no effect on spells that require a save, as opposed to an attack roll.

Determining range

When deciding whether a creature in a region is within range of an attack, determine whether any of the region that creature occupies is. If so, the attack can be made.

Areas of effect

Without a grid, area of effect spells can become difficult to adjudicate. Luckily the DMG has us covered, offering a handy go to reference. Of course, the DM will ultimately decide if more or fewer creatrures are caught in a spell's effect (though they are encourgaed to err on the side of the player, knowing they would instinctively look for the most damage were they really on the battlefield). To use the table, determine which combatants are in the same region, and let the table guide you in determining the number of those combatants that are caught in an area of effect (round up). Usually area of effect spells on affect one region, though the DM may adjudicate differently depending on the situation.

Cone - Size of spell ÷ 10

- Size of spell ÷ 10 Cube or square - Size of spell ÷ 5

- Size of spell ÷ 5 Cylinder - Radius of spell ÷ 5

- Radius of spell ÷ 5 Line - Length of spell ÷ 30

- Length of spell ÷ 30 Sphere or circle - Radius of spell ÷ 5

Avoiding allies

When casting a spell into a region that contains allies, you need to be careful to keep them out of the blast. The DC for such an act is 10 + the level of the spell. Roll a d20 for each ally and add your spell-casting modifier and proficiency bonus.

Movement

Given that the grid is being lost, movement must change to compensate. Players now have 1 Movement Point (MP) for every 10ft their players could previously move; so an average human has 3, where as a dwarf would have 2, for example. These movement points are the currency you use to interact with your environment. The different ways these points can be spent are detailed in the following sections, but the basic use of them is to move to an adjacent region - doing so costs 1MP for each region you have been in this turn. So, your first move to an adjacent region would cost 1MP, whilst moving to another would then cost 2 etc. You can always move 1 region, regardless of tags or maximum MP (unless your speed is 0, you have spent your MPs on other actions, or other obstacles stand in your way).