Order of Battle
You don't need to engage in combat with every NPC or monster you encounter. However, there are times when combat is unavoidable. We use a straightforward turn order that alternates between the party and their adversaries to bring some order to the chaos of battle. Follow the steps below to determine the order of actions.
Establishing the Turn Order: In combat, players decide how their characters take turns, while the Game Master (GM) determines the order for NPCs and monsters. Typically, player characters take the first turn unless there is a story reason for the GM to go first, such as in the case of an ambush.
The player whose character is first in the turn order takes their turn.
After the first player takes their turn, the GM chooses an enemy to take the next turn.
This alternating pattern continues—one of the party members takes a turn, followed by one of the GM's characters—until all combatants have had their turns.
Once every combatant has completed a turn, the next round will begin in the same order.
For example, if the party decides at the beginning of combat that their turn order is 1) Null, 2) Berrik, 3) Lotty, and 4) Flynn, and they encounter 6 Soldiers, the Order of Battle might look like this:
1st: Null
2nd: Soldier 1
3rd: Berrik
4th: Soldier 2
5th: Lotty
6th: Soldier 3
7th: Flynn
8th: Soldier 4
9th: Soldier 5
10th: Soldier 6
If a creature dies or is otherwise removed from the turn order, remove that creature from the order and slide all remaining creatures up one position, even if this disrupts the alternating order of battle.
Using turn order outside combat: Consider using the combat turn order as a guide in non-combat situations such as exploration or group discussions. This can help ensure that everyone can contribute, manage conversations, prevent players from talking over each other, and allow quieter members to participate. It also serves as a structured exploration and decision-making tool, allowing each player to share their character's insights and actions.