How to Run Your First Combat

The first time you run a tabletop fight, it feels like juggling. It isn't — combat is just a loop of four small steps repeated until one side is down. Here's the whole loop, with a free tool for each part so you're never doing bookkeeping in your head.

Step 1 — Roll initiative

Initiative decides turn order. Everyone — players and monsters — rolls 1d20 and adds their initiative bonus. Highest goes first, then down the line. Drop each name and number into the initiative tracker and it sorts the order for you; tap the die to roll for the monsters. Add several copies of a creature (Goblin 1, Goblin 2…) so each acts on its own count.

Step 2 — Take turns, top to bottom

Starting from the highest initiative, each combatant takes a turn: typically move, then take one action (attack, cast a spell, hide, help). Resolve it, then move to the next name down. When you reach the bottom of the list, that's one round — loop back to the top and the round counter ticks up. Most fights last three to five rounds.

Step 3 — Track hit points and conditions

When an attack hits, roll damage and subtract it from the target's hit points. Keep the party and the monsters on the HP & condition tracker: type a number and tap Damage or Heal, add temporary HP, and toggle conditions like Poisoned or Prone. When a creature hits 0, it's down. Monsters usually drop; player characters start making death saves.

Step 4 — End the encounter

The fight ends when one side is defeated, flees, or surrenders. Don't be afraid to have enemies run when they're clearly losing — it speeds things up and makes the world feel alive. Then hand out the rewards: roll a hoard on the treasure generator and you're done.

A few tips for a smooth first fight

• Read the monster's options out loud to yourself before the session so you're not flipping pages mid-turn.
• Keep the dice roller open in another tab for damage and saves.
• It's okay to fudge a rule in the moment and look it up later. Keep the game moving.

What's the difference between a turn and a round?

A turn is one combatant acting. A round is everyone having taken one turn — once you loop back to the top of the order, a new round begins.

What happens at 0 hit points?

Monsters are typically defeated. Player characters fall unconscious and begin death saving throws until they're stabilized, healed, or die.

Do I really need to track all this?

You can do it on paper, but the initiative and HP trackers keep it straight and survive a refresh, so nothing gets lost mid-fight.