# AD&D 2e Combat Checklist
All pages refer to the [Revised Player's Handbook](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/16868/player-s-handbook-revised-2e) and the [Revised Dungeon Master's Guid](https://www.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/17552/dungeon-master-guide-revised-2e) found on Drive Thru RPG.
## 1. Determine Surprise (DMG p. 139, PHB p. 111)
- [ ] Roll 1d10 for each side
- [ ] Apply modifiers if applicable (DMG p. 139, Table 57 and below)
This table is relative to the party: i.e. these modifiers determine if the party is surprised. Reverse this for checking the other side.
- [ ] Result of 1-3 mean that side is surprised
- [ ] Surprised side loses action for the round
### Table 57: Surprise Modifiers
| **Condition** | **Modifier** |
| ----------------------------------------------- | ------------ |
| **Other Party is:** | |
| Silenced | –2 |
| Invisible | –2 |
| Distinctive odor (smoke, powerful stench, etc.) | +2 |
| Every 10 members | +1 |
| Camouflaged | –1 to –3 |
| **PC Party is:** | |
| Fleeing | –2 |
| In poor light | –1 |
| In darkness | –4 |
| Panicked | –2 |
| Anticipating attack* | +2 |
| Suspicious* | +2 |
| **Conditions are:** | |
| Rainy | –1 |
| Heavy fog | –2 |
| Extremely still | +2 |
**Notes:**
*\*A party anticipates attack when they have good cause to suspect immediate danger and know the likely general direction of an attack. A suspicious party is one that has grounds to believe another group might try to make a hostile move against them.*
## 2. Establish Encounter Distance (DMG p. 139, Table 58)
### Table 58: Encounter Distance
| **Situation or Terrain** | **Range in Feet** |
| ------------------------ | ----------------- |
| Both groups surprised | 3d6 |
| One group surprised | 4d6 |
| **No surprise:** | |
| Smoke or heavy fog | 6d6 |
| Jungle or dense forest | 1d10 × 10 |
| Light forest | 2d6 × 10 |
| Scrub, brush, or bush | 2d12 × 10 |
| Grassland, little cover | 5d10 × 10 |
| Nighttime or dungeon | Limit of sight |
## 3. Determine Initiative (PHB p. 124, DMG p. 78)
- [ ] Each side rolls 1d10, lowest roll acts first
- [ ] **Individual Initiative (Optional)**: each combatant rolls separately (PHB p. 126, DMG p. 80)
- [ ] Apply Initiative Modifiers as appropriate (PHB p. 125, DMG p. 78, Tables 40-41)
- [ ] **Weapon Speed Factors (Optional)**: adjust initiative by weapon speed (PHB p. 127, DMG p. 81)
### Table 40: Standard Modifiers to Initiative
| Situation | Modifier |
| ---------------------------- | -------- |
| Hasted | –2 |
| Slowed | +2 |
| On higher ground | –1 |
| Set to receive a charge | –2 |
| Wading or slippery footing | +2 |
| Wading in deep water | +4 |
| Foreign environment* | +6 |
| Hindered (tangled, climbing) | +3 |
| Waiting (Player’s Handbook) | +1 |
Notes:
*\*This applies to situations in which the party is in a completely different environment (swimming underwater without the aid of a ring of free action, for example).*
### Table 41: Optional Modifiers to Initiative
| **Situation** | **Modifier** |
| --------------------------------------------------- | --------------------- |
| Attacking with weapon | Weapon speed |
| Breath weapon | +1 |
| Casting a spell | Casting time |
| Creature size (monsters with natural weapons only)* | |
| Tiny | 0 |
| Small | +3 |
| Medium | +3 |
| Large | +6 |
| Huge | +9 |
| Gargantuan | +12 |
| Innate spell ability | +3 |
| Magical items** | |
| Miscellaneous magic | +3 |
| Potion | +4 |
| Ring | +3 |
| Rod | +1 |
| Scroll | Casting time of spell |
| Stave | +2 |
| Wand | +3 |
Notes:
*\*This applies only to creatures fighting with natural weapons—claws, bites, etc. Creatures using weapons use the speed factor of the weapon, regardless of the creature’s size.
\*****Use the initiative modifier listed unless the item description says otherwise.**
## 4. Declare Actions (PHB p. 122, DMG p. 77)
- [ ] Spellcasting or item activation
- [ ] Missile attacks
- [ ] Melee attacks
- [ ] Movement
- [ ] Special actions (e.g., withdraw, charge)
### Examples of Actions You Can Do in One Round (DMG p. 76):
- Make an attack (or multiple attacks if allowed by character class and level)
- Cast a single spell (including retrieving components, intoning, and gesturing)
- Drink a potion (retrieving, uncorking, drinking, and discarding container
- Lighting a torch
- Use a magic item
- Move to the limit of one's movement rate
- Open a stuck or secret door
- Tend to a fallen comrade (check condition, administer aid)
- Move up to half one's movement rate and engage in melee combat (p. 83-84)
- Hammer a spike
- Recover a dropped weapon
- Withdraw from combat carefully and defensively (move up to 1/3 one's movement rate)
- If multiple people are attacking, one person can block for the rest
- Flee at full movement rate (but allows one or more free attacks by the enemy which do not count against their number of attacks p. 84)
### Actions That Take Negligible Time (Free Actions):
These actions do not significantly impact a character’s ability to perform other important tasks within a round.
- Shouting warnings, orders, or brief communications (not full conversations)
- Drawing weapon and possibly dropping another one
- Dropping excessive equipment
## 5. Resolve Actions in Initiative Order (PHB p. 122-123, DMG p. 77-81)
- **Melee Combat**
- [ ] Always roll to hit: d20 vs. THAC0 (PHB p. 119)
- [ ] THAC0 - Die Roll = AC Hit
- [ ] THAC0 - Target AC = Die Roll Needed
- [ ] Apply situational modifiers (PHB p. 120, DMG p. 74, Table 35)
- [ ] **Weapon Type vs. Armor (Optional)**: Adjust to-hit rolls based on weapon and armor type (PHB p. 120, DMG p. 75, Table 36)
- [ ] Two weapon fighting: -2 from main hand, -4 attack from off hand. Off hand weapon must be smaller than main hand
- [ ] modified by DEX reaction modifier
- [ ] gives one extra attack
- [ ] Roll damage and apply modifiers (PHB p. 96-97)
- [ ] **Critical Hits & Fumbles (Optional)** (DMG p. 86)
- [ ] 20 always hits: **Roll** damage dice twice, all other damage modifiers added once
- [ ] 1 always fails: Optional DM complications
### Table 35: Combat Modifiers
| Situation | Attack Roll Modifier |
|------------------------------|----------------------|
| Attacker on higher ground | +1 |
| Defender invisible | –4 |
| Defender off-balance | +2 |
| Defender sleeping or held | Automatic* |
| Defender stunned or prone | +4 |
| Defender surprised | +1 |
| Missile fire, long range | –5 |
| Missile fire, medium range | –2 |
| Rear attack | +2 |
Notes:
*\*If the defender is attacked during the course of a normal melee, the attack automatically hits and causes normal damage. If no other fighting is going on (i.e., all others have been slain or driven off), the defender can be slain automatically.*
### **Table 36: Weapon Type Vs. Armor Modifiers**
| Armor Type | AC | Slash | Pierce | Bludgeon |
| ----------------- | --- | ----- | ------ | -------- |
| Banded mail | 4 | +2 | 0 | +1 |
| Brigandine | 6 | +1 | +1 | 0 |
| Chain mail | 5 | +2 | 0 | –2 |
| Bronze Plate Mail | 5 | +2 | 0 | –2 |
| Field plate | 2 | +3 | +1 | 0 |
| Full plate | 1 | +4 | +3 | 0 |
| Leather armor | 8 | 0 | –2 | 0 |
| Padded Armor | 8 | 0 | –2 | 0 |
| Hide Armor | 6 | 0 | –2 | 0 |
| Plate mail | 3 | +3 | 0 | 0 |
| Ring mail | 7 | +1 | +1 | 0 |
| Scale mail | 6 | 0 | +1 | 0 |
| Splint mail | 4 | 0 | +1 | +2 |
| Studded leather | 7 | +2 | +1 | 0 |
- **Missile Combat**
- [ ] Check range and apply modifiers (PHB p. 95, DMG p. 87)
- [ ] Roll to hit: d20 vs. THAC0
- [ ] Apply situational modifiers
- [ ] **Cover**: also give you a bonus to saving throw vs spells that cause physical damage. If 90% cover or more, no damage from passed saving throws, only 1/2 on a fail
- [ ] Firing into melee: weighted chance to hit someone
- [ ] If moving and shooting
- [ ] May move up to half one's movement rate
- [ ] Get only one half one's ROF
- [ ] Roll damage
### **Table 44: Cover and Concealment Modifiers**
| Target is: | Cover (soft cover; i.e. bushes) | Concealment (hard cover) |
| ---------- | ------------------------------- | ------------------------ |
| 25% | –2 | –1 |
| 50% | –4 | –2 |
| 75% | –7 | –3 |
| 90% | –10 | –4 |
- **Spellcasting**
- [ ] Announce casting and check casting time (PHB p. 125, DMG p. 80)
- [ ] Apply Spell Disruption if damaged during casting (PHB p. 111)
- [ ] No dex bonus to AC, No movement, no dodge, any hit or damage disrupts the spell
- [ ] Roll saving throws if applicable (PHB p. 133, DMG p. 91-93, Table 46)
- **Special Attacks**
- [ ] Called Shots (Optional) (DMG p. 82)
- [ ] -4 to hit
- [ ] Charging (PHB p. 128, DMG p. 84)
- [ ] +2 Attack Roll, +50% movement rate, -2 bonus on initiative
- [ ] No dex bonus to AC, 1 AC penalty, some weapons do double damage (set pole arms)
- [ ] Punching and Wrestling (Non-lethal Combat; PHB p. 128-130, DMG p. 84-86)
- [ ] Overbearing (PHB p. 129, DMG p. 85)
- [ ] Nonlethal Damage
- [ ] -4 to hit, 1/2 damage which is temporary
## 6. Check Morale if Necessary (DMG p. 97-99, Table 49)
- [ ] Roll morale if conditions are met (losses, leader falls, etc.)
- [ ] 2d10, if <= morale passes, else flees
### **Table 49: Morale Ratings (example)**
| Creature Type | Morale |
|----------------------------|--------|
| Non-intelligent monster | 18 |
| Animal, normal and peaceful| 3 |
| Animal, normal predator | 7 |
| Animal intelligence monster| 12 |
| Semi-intelligent monster | 11 |
| Low intelligence | 10 |
| Average 0–level human | 7 |
| Mobs | 9 |
| Militia | 10 |
| Green or disorganized troops| 11 |
| Regular soldiers | 12 |
| Elite soldiers | 14 |
| Hirelings | 12 |
| Henchmen | 15 |
### Table 50: Situational Modifiers
| Situation | Modifier |
|----------------------------------------------|----------|
| Abandoned by friends | –6 |
| Creature lost 25% of its hp* | –2 |
| Creature lost 50% of its hp* | –4 |
| Creature is chaotic | –1 |
| Creature is fighting hated enemy | +4 |
| Creature is lawful | +1 |
| Creature was surprised | –2 |
| Creatures are fighting wizards or magic-using foes | –2 |
| Creatures with ½ HD or less | –2 |
| Creatures with greater than ½ HD, but less than 1 HD | –1 |
| Creatures with 4 to 8+ HD | +1 |
| Creatures with 9 to 14+ HD | +2 |
| Creatures with 15 or more HD | +3 |
| Defending home | +3 |
| Defensive terrain advantage | +1 |
| Each additional check required in round** | –1 |
| Leader is of different alignment | –1 |
| Most powerful ally killed | –4 |
| NPC has been favored | +2 |
| NPC has been poorly treated | –4 |
| No enemy slain | –2 |
| Outnumbered by 3 or more to 1 | –4 |
| Outnumber opponent 3 or more to 1 | +2 |
| Unable to affect opponent*** | –8 |
| Wizard or magic-using creature on same side | +2 |
*\* Or a group that has lost that percentage of monsters or creatures.
**\*\* –1/check required.
\*\*\* Creatures protected from attack by magic or which require magic weapons to be struck, and the group does not possess these.
### **Check Monster and NPC Morale When:**
- The foes have been surprised, but only on the first round after surprise.
- Faced by an obviously superior force.
- An ally is slain by magic.
- 25% of their group has fallen.
- 50% of their group has fallen.
- A companion is slain after more than 50% of the group has fallen.
- Their leader deserts or is slain.
- Fighting a creature they cannot harm due to magical protections.
- Ordered to attempt a heroically dangerous task.
- Offered temptation (bribe, chance to steal, etc.), if already checking morale for one other reason. In the case, the check can be used to see if they agree or refuse
- Told to act as a rear guard, such as covering a fighting withdrawal.
- Directed to use up or use a charge from a personal powerful magical item.
- Given a chance to surrender (and have met the conditions for one other morale check).
- Completely surrounded.
## 7. Track Hit Points and Conditions
- [ ] Mark wounds, apply healing and status effects (PHB p. 139-141, DMG p. 99-104)
- [ ] Note special damage (poison, energy drain, paralysis; PHB p. 139-141, DMG p. 100-102)
## 8. End of Round Actions
- [ ] Reset Initiative and repeat combat round as needed