Tactics are important in Dungeons and Dragons. They are important to both the adventurers as well as the monsters they face. Both sides want to win any battle they engage in. Yet in neither 1st Edition AD&D or in Dungeons and Dragons 5E do either set of core books really discuss the subject all that much. The DM is left to determine what tactics his monsters will use and the players are left to determine what tactics will work for them. And if someone chooses poor tactics….you get the result in the picture above.
Tactics of the Adventurers
I discussed the use of cover and concealment in a prior article. Obviously that is an important tactical consideration. Should the adventurers close in and melee? Should they set pole arms and wait for the enemy to charge? Should they use missile weapons and keep range. Or should they use magic? These are considerations that the players must decide.
Tactics of the Monsters and NPCs
For the Dungeon Master there are other considerations. His monsters and non player characters must make rational choices for their own defense and success. If they see or hear a party of adventurers coming they may lay in wait and try to surprise them. They may know of, or even set, traps to give them an advantage against potential enemies. Unlike the adventurers they may have allies in the dungeon that could help them win an encounter with meddling delvers. The monsters may have alarms set up to warn each other of trespassers. The creatures might have weapons set up for defense. They might even have places in their lair that give them cover and concealment to use to their advantage.
Resources for the Dungeon Master
There are not many discussions on the web that I could find on this subject. But I did find one pretty good one. It is from a web site called the Monsters Know.
The Monsters Know: Tactics for 5E
It would appear that this entire blog is dedicated to the tactics of different types of creatures that might be met in a Dungeons and Dragons 5E game. Each article seems to be about tactics of a specific creature. From reading this blog I suspect most of these ideas are easily usable in other editions of Dungeons and Dragons.
Tactics in Dungeons and Dragons
Regardless of what edition you play the tactics used may determine the outcome of a battle. Not having the right tactics can be fatal. Being prepared for any contingency is essential to the success of either the delver or the creature of the dark dungeon.
