So my player have be asking me can they make combo attacks. So Appling to ROC.

[Throne12]

I'm a DM that likes using the Rule of cool to have fun games. And I feel he have a good balance or using RAW and ROC. So they arnt pestering me about this but it has been brought a few times now. Everyone in the group are fairytail fans and they would like to come up with and use combos like in the show. So how would yall handel this I want it to be strong and fun for them but I would like it to be a bit restricted so they arnt defaulting it it every combat?

[Amnestic]

So how would yall handel this I want it to be strong and fun for them but I would like it to be a bit restricted so they arnt defaulting it it every combat?

How gamey do you want to get? Adding a 'Limit Break' meter that they need to charge by dealing and taking damage would work, but it's very gamey.

Alternatively just give them a recharge period - eg. 1d4 days.

Alternatively alternatively, give it a blowback. These big combo attacks are usually very draining. Maybe it costs the next turn's actions to unleash it, or maybe it makes them take some damage in the process. If it's mostly martials using it, maybe have it drain (possibly temporarily) their magic weapon due to how much energy was expended. Not sure how you'd balance that for spellcasters with arcane focuses - maybe it cuts them off from spellcasting other than cantrips for [x] period of time?

[SiCK_Boy]

Why not just let them describe whatever combo they want, while having it make no mechanical impact on the game?

I don’t know the source material you mention, but you could describe a player making an attack roll as representing his character stabbing an opponent 3 times in the chest, kicking him in the balls, and slamming him with a shield in the same move... while still only doing his base weapon damage for a single attack action.

[Throne12]

Why not just let them describe whatever combo they want, while having it make no mechanical impact on the game?

I don’t know the source material you mention, but you could describe a player making an attack roll as representing his character stabbing an opponent 3 times in the chest, kicking him in the balls, and slamming him with a shield in the same move... while still only doing his base weapon damage for a single attack action.

One combo attack the paladin wants to do is combining this attackand smith with the dragon's monk breath attack to deliver a powerfuly devastating attack.

[SiCK_Boy]

One combo attack the paladin wants to do is combining this attackand smith with the dragon's monk breath attack to deliver a powerfuly devastating attack.

So what it boils down to is "I want rule of cool" to let me do way more damage than what the game rules normally allow?

Probably my tiredness at reading the TCoE thread, but I won't be able to help with this, so I'll bow down. But I'm sure somehow, somewhere, there exists a system that allows characters to do exactly that kind of stuff, while having it baked directly into the system design and paradigm.

I'm as much a powergamer as the next guy, but I don't try to hide it behind "rule of cool" or "player freedoms" arguments, and I don't try to abuse things like DM leniency and other aspects of the game not controled by the rules just to achieve better mechanical results. Will probably never really be able to understand players who do that or put their DMs in the position of having to refuse them by asking for those kind of things, either...

[EggKookoo]

Probably my tiredness at reading the TCoE thread, but I won't be able to help with this, so I'll bow down. But I'm sure somehow, somewhere, there exists a system that allows characters to do exactly that kind of stuff, while having it baked directly into the system design and paradigm.

Wrap it into a somewhat liberal interpretation of the Help and Ready actions.

Paladin uses the Ready action to use the Help action in order to provide advantage on the monk's attack. Flavor as desired.

[Valmark]

dragon's monk breath

I can't help but imagine a dragon breathing monks against the enemies.


Aaaanyway... How about making it so that once per short rest when a character does X thing another can as a reaction use one of their normally action-costing moves? (So like, paladin smites, monk breaths as a reaction).

Maybe the characters can spend downtime/make skill checks to synchronize, and they need to be resource-consuming moves.

Probably long rest makes more sense. This looks like it could break encounters fast depending on which move is it.

[DeTess]

One combo attack the paladin wants to do is combining this attackand smith with the dragon's monk breath attack to deliver a powerfuly devastating attack.

So the paladin smites on their turn, and the monk breathes on their turn. This does a lot of damage. I don't see the need to add extra mechanics. Like, why would calling this a 'combo attack' cause it do do more damage then it normally would?

Don't take this the wrong way, if the players come up with an actually ingenious way to deliver a solid blow, that'd be another story, but this description is literally just their characters using their characters abilities, for which there are already rules. If you want it to be a 'combo' wait with your description until after their turns are done, and then describe them working together.

[solidork]

Sounds cool! I'd let them.

Do you use the inspiration mechanic? If you do, maybe both players have to expend inspiration to activate it? If they're the kind of players that are invested in the character's relationships then giving them inspiration when those relationships evolve and deepen could be really cool and tie their new powers directly to their friendship.

[Yakk]

Keep track of the number of turns in the fight with a d4 that starts at 1.

At the start of your turn, roll 1d4; if it is *under* the turn number, you may ready a combo as an action.

Next turn you get 2 actions, any saving throw you impose is at disadvantage, and your attacks are at advantage, and damage is maximized.

Once you fire off a combo (not ready it) the combo die becomes d6 then d8 etc (both counter and roll). If two people fire off d4 combos you still only move to d6.

---

Goals

1) combos are not alpha strikes
2) combos have a cost; not worth doing on trivial fights (the delay part)
3) combos are not automatic (random chance) but happen (increasing chance)
4) impact is significant (two actions plus advantage and maximized damage is strong)

[JackPhoenix]

One combo attack the paladin wants to do is combining this attackand smith with the dragon's monk breath attack to deliver a powerfuly devastating attack.

So... the paladin uses a smite, and the monk follows with breath attack, or vice versa. That'll propably be pretty devastating. I don't see why would you need any houserules for that.

There's already plenty of "combos" baked-in the system. Paralyze/stun the target and follow with melee attack (or anything requiring a Dex/Str save, like the breath attack), shove/grapple followed by attack(s) at advantage, grave cleric's channel divinity and anything with high damage, pretty much anything that buffs the attacker or debilitates the enemy to make the following action more effective...

[solidork]

So... the paladin uses a smite, and the monk follows with breath attack, or vice versa. That'll propably be pretty devastating. I don't see why would you need any houserules for that.

I think they mean something like "What if the Monk used his breath on my sword, enchanting it with his Ki and making it do extra elemental damage!"

[Reynaert]

So a combo move is a move where two characters act together to do one big attack?

I think the most balanced way would be to homebrew some spells (or monk abilities that cost ki) which say something similar to:

"Spinning back to back combo"
Level 1 transmogrification
Casting time: 1 action
Range: 1 ally within 5 feet

The ally can use their reaction to stand back-to-back to you, and together you make a spinning series of attacks on all creatures within 5 feet. Each creature takes 3d6 plus your casting modifier plus the ally's strength modifier slashing damage and is pushed away 10 feet, unless they make a dexterity saving throw, in which case they take half damage and are not pushed.
The damage increases by 1d6 for each level above 1.

or:

"Echo blade wave combo"
Range: 1 ally within 5 feet
Level 2 evocation

The ally can use their reaction to swing their weapon in the direction of a creature within 60 feet, causing a wave of fire energy towards it. The ally must make an attack roll using their normal weapon stat on the creature, causing their normal weapon damage on a hit. Regardless on if it hit, the wave then explodes, causing each creature within 15 feet of the point of impact to take 3d8 fire damage, or half if they make a dexterity saving throw.
Damage increases by 1d8 for each level above 2.

And as many more as you can think of.

NB: I haven't seen fairytail so you'll have to come up with spells (or ki monk abilities, like sun soul monk) that match the different moves in the series.

I think for balance sake, just look at existing spells of the same levels, to see how much damage they do, and then upscale that a bit because of the restrictions of needing to be next to an ally and them having to use their reaction.

[Throne12]

So the player that mostly brings this up likes and runs game in CoC and DW. And his DMing style uses the rule of cool heavily. He also always what called shots like can I shoot the guy in the face to blind him or can I shoot the guy in the hand to disarm him. So he has a different outlook on gaming and is always trying to see what can do.

[EggKookoo]

So the player that mostly brings this up likes and runs game in CoC and DW. And his DMing style uses the rule of cool heavily. He also always what called shots like can I shoot the guy in the face to blind him or can I shoot the guy in the hand to disarm him. So he has a different outlook on gaming and is always trying to see what can do.

Yeah, coop games like D&D are balanced around the entire group, not just that one player who wants the spotlight. It might just not be the game for him. Which is fine, it can't be for everyone.

If you don't mind managing the balance for such things, you could tie special maneuvers or actions to skill checks. He wants to blast the guy in the face to blind him? Sure, make an attack roll at disadvantage and make a sleight-of-hand check to see if your shot blinds him. If either roll fails, you miss entirely. If they both hit, your target is blinded until the start of your next turn. It's still pretty powerful so be prepared to throw tougher opponents at your players, but watch out for XP if you're using that. You might need to "cheat" the CR a bit to keep leveling rates sane.

[da newt]

I'd look for ways to create risk - reward decisions / mechanics.

Maybe:

A called shot reduces the target size from full body to one limb, so that's like 3/4 cover, sure go for it but the target AC is +5, or add an ability check after the attack roll with appropriate DC.

Combo moves involving two players - first player to act readies attack, second player attacks, triggering first player attack, if one or both miss then attack fails, if both hit then roll normal damage for both * 3/2 = combo move total damage.

Add special combo move slots - 2x long rest, 1 per short rest, increases at lvl 6, 12, 18, ...

Make a feat that mirrors GWM/SS - special combo move does +10 dam but costs -5 to hit roll

Add some extra cool combo moves to your bad guys too.

Rule of Cool can be very fun, but I'd always ensure there was a cost / risk - reward element to counter power creep.

BTW your called shot player is describing Battle Master moves - they cost 2 lvls of fighter and a subclass and you get only so many ...