The worlds of DND are filled with dangers and combat is around every corner, If you don’t know your way around the battlefield you can wind up dead. So what do you do if the DM ask you to role for Initiative.
Combat unfolds in these steps:
1. The DM determines where all the characters and monsters are located. Given the adventures’ marching order or their stated positions in the room or locations, the DM figures out where the adversaries are-how far away and in what direction.
2. Everyone involved in in the combat encounter rolls Initiative, determining the order of combatants turns.
3. Each participant in the battle takes a turn in Initiative order. when everyone involved in the combat has had a turn, the round ends. Repeat this step until the fighting stops.
Initiative determines the order of turns during combat. Everyone involved in the combat encounter rolls Initiative which is a Dexterity check plus you Initiative bonus. Combat is ordered from highest Initiative to lowest Initiative. The DM role for the enemy combatants and groups of identical enemies share the same Initiative. If a combatant is surprised by combat starting, that combatant has Disadvantage on their Initiative roll. when a tie occurs, the DM decides the tie between monster and the tie between players and monsters while players decide the tie between players.
On your turn of combat you can do all of the following;
Move up to your speed in movement.
Have brief conversation ( longer conversation require you use action).
Take an action ( attack, interact with object, doing something).
Take a bonus action if you have one (from you class or spells).
In DND there are melee weapons (like swords and axes) that require strength or Dexterity to use and range weapons (bows and crossbows) that use Dexterity to attack, range weapons also have Disadvantage when attacking at close range. when attacking you make two different roles, an attack role to make the attack and if successful the damage role to deal damage.
Depending on many different reasons you can gain Advantage or Disadvantage on attack roll, Initiative rolls, and ability checks or saves.
If you have Advantage on a roll, you roll twice and take the higher number
If you have Disadvantage on a roll, you roll twice and take the lowest number
On your turn, you can choose to hold your action, specify what action you wish to take and what requirements are needed to be fulfilled for you to do an action, once those requirements are fulfilled, you do that action right afterwards.
You can use your action to dodge which gives Disadvantage on attack rolls against you and if you can see the attacker, you also make dexterity saving throw with Advantage.
If an enemy moves out of melee range you can use your reaction to take an attack of Opportunity.
To avoid the risk of you being hit by an attack of Opportunity, you can use your action to disengage before moving away.