Dungeons & Dragonshas something for everyone. Storytelling, amazing adventures, and terrible monsters. No matter what brings you to the fantasy worlds of D&D, as your character rises up the levels, your fight will get harder.
Combat encounters at higher levels can be intense, with every turn having the potential to see a character ending their adventuring days early. Thankfully, there are some things to keep in mind when you get to higher levels to survive these high-level encounters a little easier. No matter your class, it’s best to keep these in mind whenfighting your next tarrasque.
9Know When To Escape
A Tactical Retreat
Combat encounters at a high level can get intense quickly. All it takes is for one of your players to get taken out of the fight and your plan on how to defeat your enemies can go out the window. It’s not a bad idea to know when to cut your losses.
D&D is a game of creativity after all. On most occasions, a tactical retreat should be entirely possible, and a good DM will appreciate the creativity instead of the players slowly edging towards a TPK. Run away to fight another day.
8Do Some Research
Find A Librarian
Metagaming is the bane of many a DM, but researching the enemies you are about to face can be done in character, and ultimately lead to the same results. This doesn’t work for surprise encounters, but if your characters have an idea of what they are about to face, it can help to do some studying.
History, Nature, and other related checks are great to start with, especially if a character can tie in their backstory about potentially knowing about an enemy beforehand. Other than that, places of knowledge, or asking knowledgeable NPCs are a great way to learn more about the enemies you will face, and their weaknesses.
Rangers, for example, have favored enemies that have specialized knowledge on how to face them.
7Use Teamwork
It’s Not A Solo RPG
There are plenty of ways to work as a team, but in combat, it is a necessity at higher levels. No matter your party roster, D&D rewards you for using your teams' skills with one another. Knowing your characters' strengths and weaknesses is key to surviving those hairier encounters.
Boosting your teammates' abilities with your own, combining spell effects, and communicating are just a few ways to increase your chances of survival. verify not to run off and be a lone wolf in combat. It’s a quick way to be back at the drawing board for a new character.
6Get Creative
Use That Brain
Sure, there are plenty of rules in D&D saying what happens and how, but depending on your DM, you’re able to go beyond those rules to some pretty satisfying results. This is a great thing to do with spells. If you have an idea of how a spell would affect something that isn’t in its exact description, throw out the idea anyway if you think it could help in combat. Using fire spells on flammable materials, using Shatter against enemy weapons, etc.
You can do this with nearly anything. Destroying lamps for your Rogue to hide more effectively, flipping a table for cover, using an attack to trip an enemy. It all has potential. Make sure to understand the environment your characters are fighting in and pay attention to anything that could work to your advantage.
5Save Your High-Level Spells
Get That Fireball Ready
It can be easy for spellcasters to start a high-level combat encounter with a bang. While it can be impressive, and tempting, to start off a fight with a Fireball or Power Word Kill, it’s also not a bad idea to keep those high-level spell slots for emergencies.
This goes especially for Clerics, Druids, and other classes withspell-based healing. It is a tough spot to be in when a friend is making Death Saving Throws and no one has any high-level healing left. However, any spellcaster can benefit from it, with spells like Counterspell being a boon later on in prolonged combat encounters.
4Use Buffs
Aid Your Friends
The auras of a Paladin, a Bard’s Bardic Inspiration, and plenty of other class-based buffs are available to you. Don’t sleep on them mid-combat instead of damage-dealing options. Combat is just as much about heals and buffs as lowering your enemies' health.
This also goes for theusual buff spellslike Haste, Invisibility, and Enlarge/Reduce. Knowing when to use these in combat can make you and your teammates' time much easier. But, that starts with having them in your repertoire to begin with.
In certain circumstances, you can also pre-use buff spells before entering combat, freeing up action economy later on.
3Buy Tools & Weapons
Pay To Win
Preparation goes a long way in D&D. Preparing spells and using your Long Rest is one thing to verify your characters are in top shape for a fight, but spending a little gold on the matter doesn’t hurt either.
Visit shops in-game often, and gather any materials that may help you in later combat encounters. This is ideal before the boss and miniboss fights, and if you know what you’ll be fighting, you can prepare better. Buying new weapons, potions, tools, and armor are all ways you can use that hard-earned gold to help in a fight.
2Start With Stealth
Keep Quiet
Rogues rejoice! There is a time and place for running into combat headfirst, but as long as you have the chance, it’s not a bad idea to get the drop on your enemies. Start combat off in stealth with your party if you get the chance.
There are a couple of benefits to this, thefirst being the Rogueand potentially other party members will get an advantage against your targets, making that first hit a lot deadlier. You and your party will also get a round all to yourselves, which, depending on your Initiative rolls, may mean some of your characters get two attacks in before the enemies have a chance to retaliate.
You can also use stealth to position yourselves along the arena better, and even set traps.
1Hire Help
Use That Hard-Earned Gold
No matter the size of your party, it’s not a bad idea to ask for help from time to time. At higher levels, your group has probably made a name for themselves, and maybe even have some friends sprinkled throughout the world as NPCs.
For-hire mercenaries, followers of the same god, or rival adventurers, anyone who your party thinks could be a capable fighter could be a boon in combat. This is especially true as the end of your adventures comes closer and the big boss is in your sights.
