Cinematic Combat in 4th Edition

Hello everyone, and welcome to Crunch & Fluff: An RPG Blog. In this blog, I plan to look at various topics vast and small in RPGs in general, but specifically in 4th edition D&D. I'll jump around some from time to time to other systems, d20 and otherwise, and just generally give my own thoughts on Crunch (rules, mechanics, and other fun crunchy stuff), Fluff (settings, characters, descriptions, etc.) and how the two sometimes blend better than peanut butter and chocolate.

The subject up there says "Cinematic Combat in 4th Edition" but really it could just as well be named "Making Combat Awesome". It's no secret that nine times out of ten when we make our characters we look to the media we consume for ideas, whether it be from books, movies, or whatever else. Sometimes our characters aren't particularly heroic, and sometimes they just aren't even all that powerful. But we always want shit to be epic. We play D&D so we can have epic adventures where we kick in the door waving the 44, grab the loot, beat up the bad guys, save the town, and be lauded as heroes.



So why did I say "in 4th edition"? I've had some people tell me that it's more cinematic, and others tell me it's less so. The problem (or solution), according to many, lies in the powers. Anyone familiar with 4e is no stranger to powers, since they're so central to the ruleset. It's what homogenizes the system and also what makes it so unique. True, wizards now have about as many options as fighters...but on the flipside of things, WIZARDS HAVE AS MANY OPTIONS AS FIGHTERS. It was a groundbreaking decision to level the playing field when it came to combat options, and truly revolutionary. As with any revolution, there's a lot of pushback, but that's a topic for another time.

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The "Imagination" Argument
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So you've got these powers; a couple at-wills, a few encounters, a few dailies. You look at this list and you say "These are my powers, this is everything I can do". Well, not exactly. It's easy to decry this and note smugly all the wonderfully imaginative things you could do before the days of powers. I hear you. I had a player in one of my games wrap a stolen pair of halfling pants (don't ask) around an arrow, soak 'em in oil, then shoot a white dragon in the eye with them. I've done plenty of aerial charges onto the backs of dragons, or attacking some dude on the rooftop of another building, or whatever the case may be. Does that mean that you can't do that because now you have powers, though?

I mean, I get the argument that powers seem to trump regular combat maneuvers like charges every day of the week, and that it stifles the imagination of an experienced role player. If you know what you want to do, but you can't find the power that lets you do what you want, you feel like you're being stifled, because you won't be able to maximize your potential compared to that roll-player over there who reads off his powers and is always itching to flex his inner Sun-Tzu munchkin.

And what about the newbie? The guy (or girl) who's just now learning how to play D&D and looks at all the powers in front of them and goes "Uhh...I do sly flourish. Which one is the d20?" every time their initiative comes up? One could argue that powers keep them from thinking of inventive ways to bring more "character" to their character.

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The Problem With The "Imagination" Argument
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Thankfully, all those combat maneuvers you remember from 3 and 3.5 are still there. Charges, Bull Rushes, they're all back, and in a lot of cases are actually easier to use (I'm looking at YOU, grab). If you think of something cool to do, chances are pretty damn good that if you have a good DM, they'll think about it for a second, realize how freaking awesome it would be, and give the OK, so long as you have the actions for it (and sometimes even if you don't).

A lot of powers today recognize these playstyles, as you'll note a number of powers that can be used in place of opportunity attacks and charges. You get the utility and power without sacrificing the flavor. And in the case of wanting to use some of your skills to do something neat...well, a lot of that's baked in, too. Bluffing for combat advantage, Intimidate for making enemies surrender, it's all there. And if there's something you want to do that the rules don't have something for...that's why you have a DM.

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The Solution, or Why Your DM Sucks
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Honestly, the DM is the answer for the veteran's argument that 4e doesn't let you play your character to the fullest and for the newbie argument that there's no flavor to having a fixation on powers. If you want to do something and you can make an argument for it, the DM should let you, within reason. This is a concept as old as role-playing.

And what about the newbies, who you're afraid won't get to really get the hang of role-playing because they're mired in all the detail? Well, there's a bit of flavor with all the powers that give them a starting place. Again though, a lot of that is on the DM. If your DM's response to you hitting with a sly flourish is "you hit him, he's bloodied", your DM is doing you a disservice. if the DM's response is something more along the lines of "after parrying his blow, you feint, spinning your daggers in a way that leaves his defenses open" then the players, new and old, will catch on and get into it more.

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Being A Better Cinematic DM
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Okay, you say. I'm a DM but I don't really know how to get better at this. I'd like my players to be more cinematic and bring more role playing into it, but I don't know where to start. Well, thankfully, you have a few things you can do both before the game and during to help you out.

First of all, PLAN YOUR ENCOUNTERS. I can't stress this enough. Nothing says "shit gameplay" like a few baddies out in an open field with nary a rock in the way. Encounters and combat can be as exciting or as boring as you make it. Get interesting with your terrain, and make some areas rough terrain or flat out impassable. Don't make it easy for your players, because you want them to think about what they're going to do on their turn, instead of just rolling a die and saying "I hit" or "I miss". If you can make your terrain evolve, do it. Nothin' says lovin' like fighting during a volcano, or on a cliffside, or in an ampitheatre. Height levels, damaging terrain, get creative. Do as much of this in advance as you can, whenever the mood strikes you. If you think of a cool idea, jot it down.

This isn't to say you should railroad your players into the encounters you specify. I mean, that could work for a dungeon where you can tailor make all your encounters, but when your players want to run off and torch a bar then fight the city guards, rely on some of these guidelines instead of throwing down a blank map, saying "you're here, they're here, now fight".

Secondly, MAKE IT COOL. Whether you subscribe to the literal or metaphorical interpretations of Hit Points, you should make every hit or miss sound cool. Even something as simple as "Your blade glances off his armor" sounds cooler than "You miss". For crits, get extra detailed. Get gory if you think your players will go for it. The characters are the stars of the show, make the players feel it, and get extra excited when they hit that natural 20.

Third, MAKE IT FAST. Some of the coolest, most well thought out encounters I have ever played in have managed to become boring as shit because it took an hour to get through a round of combat. Never omit your descriptions, but be concise when possible, and plan out your enemy movements/actions in advance so all you have to do is roll dice, and encourage your players to do the same. I don't like implementing time limits unless absolutely necessary, but definitely make it clear that if they can be thinking of their next move then maybe your group can get through more of the adventure in that session.

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Conclusion
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Combat in 4th can be pretty damn epic. Its what the bulk of the D&D ruleset revolves around, after all; it SHOULD be robust. Making combat in 4th edition awesome is a weight that is placed firmly on the DM's shoulders, but that's the same with most aspects of the game. Just as with any other aspect of the game though, the DM can lead by example. If the DM adds descriptions of the hits and misses and helps make the game feel more epic to the players, the players will go along with it and will, in time, start adding descriptions of their own, wanting to do wilder and more epic actions every round. Encourage it. Embrace it. Make your combat awesome.