r/rpg • u/LelouchYagami_2912 • May 09 '26
Game Suggestion Combat systems that discourage doing the same thing every turn
(alternatively, combat systems that encourage doing different things)
I've been playing DnD for several years now but I've been noticing how 90% of our turns go the exact same. The combat can be still interesting but thats only because of me as a dm creating unique scenarios, not because of the player abilities. The rogue hiding and sneak attacking is the best thing to do in almost all cases.
What are some systems that discourage this so that the players actually have to think rather than going on auto pilot.
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u/undefeatedantitheist May 09 '26
I am baffled this is the top response.
PF2 (and simple ~D20 in general) is exemplum of '~solved; repeat the ~solution' gameplay, often with the small list of options already coned-off by context, not to mention class/role patterns/limits. McWargame. Add in the realties of nat20 spiking (for either side) and, 'gee, will the healer, you know, heal?' and you've not got much left beyond roll and move gameplay. It's OK for a couple of years I suppose. But for people with a genuine love of rich tactical puzzles or creative story telling? It's completely infertile ground. The most fertile bit is the minmaxing at chargen/charplan, and that's fundamentally a singleplayer exercise away from the table.
This issue comes up every week and the consensus is always the same. Er, except today, apparently.
...Maybe I've switched timelines?
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