D&D 5E Combat Explained in 5 Minutes

Combat in Dungeons and Dragons is one of the 3 pillars of the game. You know, swing swords, casting spells, slaying beasts… the fun stuff! But once initiative is rolled and the action begins, things can get bogged down with rules questions, tactical decisions and D&D math. So we’re here to give you the basics of D&D combat in about 5 minutes. But what even is initiative and why should you be rolling it?

Find us on Instagram: thedungeoncast

[leopoldjenkins]

This was incredibly useful. It's my first time as DM this week and I've got more info in this 5 min video than an hour on the forums

[eir]

For a normie like me to understand this means this is an amazing explanation

[GippyHappy]

I'm a newbie, and I'm going to be DMing for my first ever time playing. I've got to say this is the best explanation I've found so far! And probably the first time I actually felt like I understood it at all.
Most other sources just tell me to read the guide, but I did and I still felt confused.
Anyway, thank you SO MUCH!

[YoungSinatra]

This simplified a lot.
Other tubers spoke of detailed irrelavance which oversaturated making it easy to get lost in details.
They lost focus as to the fact that if your were watching that particular video you've proubly never played D&D.
Making it not a failing of comprehension, but one of context.
This straightened me...thank you very very much.

[evieisamarshmallow]

I’m running a one shot this weekend and I’m definitely going to show this to my players so i don’t have to spend hours explaining!! thank you!!

[yungdracula]

I'm teaching my parents how to play, and this was a super easy tutorial for them to understand- much more to the point than any explanation I could give, I'm bad at explaining things. Thank you!

[adamfinley]

Here to understand BG3 combat system. ❤ thanks for the quick summary.

[GabrielMeister]

A great, quick, and simple description of the basics of 5e combat—a fantastic resource for old-schoolers like me who are just starting to DM 5e and want the facts!

[mlabuguen]

When the video starts with "but what even is initiative and why should you be rolling it...." thank you for making a beginner video that actual speaks to beginners

[MangaMarjan]

Finally some clear explanation of reactions and bonus actions. I wish the Player Handbook had something like this, where all actions are summarized. Great Video!

[MorriganJade]

Seriously, I have to watch this in 50 rounds? That is WAY too long 😏

[Oogasra]

I will be honest: I’m trying to get into this game and this explained a lot more clearly how combat worked and I was for the longest time confused as to how the bonus action and reaction worked

[savannahezzell]

Thank you for this! This was very helpful when my friends told me nothing about combat and advised me NOT to look up videos. They said that it would be easier learning during the game. I didn't even know about the actions I could take so for the most part I was sitting there like a fool. 😂

[HowtoRPG]

I noticed some of my miniature and white board images. I feel honoured you would use them. Make more video's.

[nicoladc]

This video is awesome, today is't my first D&D with some friends that have been playing quite some time, and after watching the vid I feel way more confident than after reading the rulebook.

[dreadnaught]

How combat happens for me goes a little something like this.
Players miss a lot and me rolling in front of them, for their allies make the guard npcs hit all the enemies and have tag teams flipping bandits off the castle wall while all the players do is miss and get hit

[olllive]

came here because im new to dnd and im starting out bg3 and i just couldnt understand the combat at all. THANK YOU SO MUCH man!

[TheMookNet]

It's like you reached inside my brain and posted exactly what I was looking for. I've been GMing GURPS since D&D 2E, but I'm poking into 5E now to scratch an itch. Even having read the PHB and DMG, this is a bedrock foundation for concretely getting the ball rolling. You hit every relevant topic, explained it clearly and briefly, all the way from initiative through healing and recovery. Thanks very much for putting this together. Extremely useful, highly recommended, already sent links to my players.

[minion-mastr]

I've been looking for a succinct and comprehensive video about combat for so long....thank you so much for this, and I have no idea how I didn't find it sooner. I'm teaching my partner and their brothers how to play and this is (hopefully) going to be super useful.

[mpavilion]

What I need is the section from 3:00-3:15, slowed down and expanded, with examples to illustrate how it works.