How to create unconventional combat encounters in DnD

Combat is one of the most electrifying parts of all Dungeons & Dragons meeting. But what's a DM to do when your players are bored with the same types of combat encounters? Hack-and-selling your way through monsters for XP is great, but sometimes it's best to shake things up.

The best way to do this is to create unconventional combat objectives. When combat begins, players tend to expect to end the encounter by killing the enemy. But you can keep things fresh by changing the overall objective of the encounter, forcing players to rely on different skills and think on their feet. Here's everything you need to know to create unconventional fight goals in your sessions.

How to deter unwanted violence

The first thing you need to do as a DM to create a different kind of goal for your party to achieve is take violence off the table as a solution. By default killing or defeating enemies in combat is the standard solution for encounters in D&D. If you can get that thought out of your head, you'll be in better shape from the start.

Another thing to consider is alternate targets for your party achieve. Unconventional objectives can take many forms, and while they may involve combat, they should change the types of tactics your players use. Here are just a few examples:

• Obtaining an item or magical artifact.

• Rescue a trapped NPC or ally.

• Shutting down the powerful mysterious machine.

• Preventing the ritual from taking place.

• Theft of plans, documents or diagrams.

You can use one of the examples above as an unexpected combat target, or you can cook your own! Ultimately, the main idea is to find ways for players to use their other abilities it's not just attacks.

How to connect the goal to the story

Whatever nonviolent goal you come up with for your combat encounter, it's best if you do tie this idea into a larger narrative arc you weave for your players. Threading into the main quest your players are traveling through is always useful, but most of all great for combat encounters.

If you plan to use the Campaign Diary, consider consulting your Campaign Conflicts sheet and making sure that every combat encounter you run connects narratively to at least one overarching conflict. Sample campaign conflict sheets can be found in the fifth chapter of the 2024 Dungeon Master's Guide.

For example, can be a great alternate combat target “Remove a magic item from an enemy person.” But if the object is just some random object that the party has never heard of, this goal is not very important. Consider how you can take some of our sample combat targets and involve them in your narrative like this:

How to surprise your players

Element surprise is always a DM's best friend. Now that you are they set up their alternate combat targetand found a way tie this goal into a larger story in the game, what is the best way to introduce this idea to your players? It comes right at the beginning of the meeting and explaining what the unconventional goal is can feel a bit dry.

Phrase “show don't tell” is one that DMs should always keep in the back of their minds. Not telling a party what to do when you show them what to do will always be more beneficial than the alternative!

In unconventional combat encounters, consider how to outline the alternate nature of this fight to your players with various signals and hints. While a combat encounter may begin normally, you should surprise your players with the revelation of an unconventional goal midway through the encounter. Now add to our sample table of meeting objectives.

Why Twists and Bets Matter

So now you have your unconventional goalyours follow up on the narrativeand the element of surprise on your side. The final step to creating an unforgettable and unconventional combat encounter is integrate twists and turns into combat rounds.

Including limits, reversals and similar bets time limits or other consequences is essential for unconventional combat goals. If the unconventional objective is achieved by simply hacking and slashing your way through the encounter, the encounter will once again be stale.

This can include things like time limits, eternally spawning enemies, lair action, environmental effects, new monster invasionsand others. So, overall, when you put everything together, your meeting should look like this.

1. Choose an Unconventional destination – Whatever you choose, avoid violence as a solution and force the player to think creatively.
2. Connect this goal in a story – After choosing a goal, be sure to tie that idea into either the player character's story or the party's larger goals.
3. Surprise the party – Reveal the surprising nature of this target in the middle of a combat encounter and suddenly turn the tables.
4. Twists & Stakes – Include time limits, restrictions, lair actions or other effects in the middle of fights and keep the party in the way of constant obstacles.

Now you are ready create completely unexpected combat objectives that will keep even your most experienced players on their toes. Additionally, as a DM you will find yourself running these types of encounters more fun to run how can you focus more on narrative and dramatic flare as opposed to just stats and lives.