Dodge Action 5e: The Option Everyone Skips
The Dodge action in 5e makes every attack against you worse and every Dexterity save better, for free. Here's why almost nobody takes it, and when they should.
Combat & Encounters
Run better fights — combat tactics, encounter design, and memorable boss battles.
Weapon Mastery 5e: The Rule Most Tables Still Get Wrong
Weapon mastery 5e isn't a buff every martial character gets automatically. It's a short, chosen list of weapons, and most tables misplay at least one part of it.
Falling Damage 5e: The Cap Everyone Forgets
Falling damage 5e is 1d6 per 10 feet, capped at 20d6. Most tables remember the first half and forget the cap, the timing, and the prone landing.
Critical Hits in D&D 5e: The Rule Everyone Misremembers
A critical hit in D&D 5e doubles your damage dice, not your damage. Here's the rule most tables misremember, and what actually doubles on a crit.
Mounted Combat 5e: The Half-Page Rule Everyone Misplays
Mounted combat 5e fits on half a page, and most tables still get it backward: warhorses can't trample, and falling off is a real risk.
Diagonal Movement 5e: The Grid Rule Almost Nobody Agrees On
Diagonal movement 5e has two official answers, and most tables are quietly using the wrong one for their own map. Here is what the rules actually say.
Surprise Round 5e: Why It Isn't a Real D&D 5e Rule
There's no such thing as a surprise round in D&D 5e. The surprised condition restricts one creature's own turn, and the 2024 rules changed what that restriction actually does.
Shove in D&D 5e: The Attack Most Tables Get Wrong
Shove 5e is a free melee attack most tables forget they have, and the two tables that remember it usually run it wrong. Here's the actual rule.
Two-Weapon Fighting 5e: The Off-Hand Attack Mistake Almost Every Table Makes
Two-weapon fighting 5e lets you attack twice for one action, but most tables add a damage bonus to the second hit that the base rule never grants. Here's the exact rule and the fix.
Prone in D&D 5e: Why 'Melee vs. Ranged' Isn't the Actual Rule
The prone condition in D&D 5e isn't a melee-vs-ranged rule. It's a distance rule, and the difference changes how reach weapons and close-range shots actually resolve.
Counterspell 5e: The Spell Nobody Casts Right
Counterspell 5e sounds simple until it hits the table: what you're allowed to know before you cast it, how upcasting actually works, and whether a counterspell can itself be countered.
Advantage and Disadvantage 5e: Why It Never Stacks, No Matter How Many Sources You Have
Advantage and disadvantage 5e never stack, even with three sources on the same roll. Here's the exact rule, why one of each cancels out, and why tables keep arguing anyway.