Ending the Combat Round (POCT)

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After all the combat actions have been resolved, it is time to finish up the round and get ready for the next one. The end of the round is a time to take care of any loose ends or bookkeeping that needs to be looked after. The four major items that are addressed at the end of the round are retreats, fatigue, morale, and status.
==Retreats==
When one character inflicts melee damage (but not as a result of missile combat) on an enemy without being hit in return, she may force her foe to retreat, driving him back with well-aimed blows. The attacker doesn't have to force her enemy back; she can decide to let him stand fast and not press the advantage. A defender can ignore the requirement to retreat if he is 4 or more levels/Hit Dice higher than the attacker or if he is two sizes larger than the attacker. A retreat cannot occur if the enemy was knocked down during the round.
When a character retreats, he must move backward into one of his rear spaces chosen by the attacker. If there is no place to retreat directly behind him, the attacker must choose one of the retreating character's flank spaces. If the character is unable to retreat into any rear or flank space, he must roll a successful saving throw vs. paralyzation or be knocked down in the space he is in. In some special situations, the DM may allow a retreating character a chance to avoid being forced back. This allows a character with his back to a cliff (for example) to avoid giving ground.
The creature who forces a retreat may follow her retreating enemy, keeping her foe in a threatened square. The attacker can instead choose to back her enemy off and then hold her own position.
Retreats are good for breaking up enemy battle-lines or for maneuvering an enemy into a battlefield hazard. Retreats can also be used to disengage from a threatening creature by driving it back. Retreats don't create attacks of opportunity for the creature forcing the retreat; this is the end of the combat round and everyone is finished attacking for the round. However, the retreating creature may have been pushed into a situation where his rear or flank is exposed to an enemy during the next round of combat.
==Fatigue==
Fighting a prolonged battle can be exhausting. Only the most heroic characters can stand fast against wave after wave of foes without tiring. The various character classes gain a number of fatigue points equal to their base Hit Die value. In other words, a warrior has 10 fatigue points, a thief 6, etc. Warriors gain one additional fatigue point each time they gain a level; nonwarriors gain one fatigue point every two levels. This value is modified by the hit-point bonus or penalty for Constitution.
For monsters, fatigue points are equal to 8 (since monsters use a d8 for their Hit Dice) plus the number of Hit Dice, rounded down. Thus an ogre (4+1 Hit Dice) has 12 fatigue points.
===Keeping Track of Fatigue===
Characters and monsters start off in a fresh state. In every phase that a character or monster moves or attacks, check off one fatigue point. When the total reaches 0, the character or creature is fatigued. Reset the fatigue score back to its original value and check off two points in every phase that movement or combat takes place. When the score reaches 0 again, the creature is exhausted.
===Effects of Fatigue===
Characters and monsters who are fatigued move and fight as if they were encumbered one category more than they really are. For example, A character who was moderately encumbered becomes heavily encumbered when he is fatigued.
Exhausted characters move and fight as if they were encumbered two categories more than normal. An exhausted, moderately encumbered character moves and fights as if he were severely encumbered. Usually, exhausted characters are well-advised to catch their breath.
===Recovering from Fatigue===
If a character or monster spends one round resting, making no moves or attacks of any kind, he gets the chance to recover one category of fatigue (exhausted to fatigued, fatigued to fresh) by rolling a successful saving throw vs. paralyzation. Characters modify the die roll by a cumulative +1 bonus for each consecutive round they spend resting. The character's hit-point bonus for exceptional Constitution is also used as a modifier to the recovery roll.
When a character recovers a fatigue category, his fatigue number is re-set all the way back to its original value. He gets a second wind and can rejoin the fray.
===Effects of Force Marching on Fatigue===
Whenever characters have failed a Constitution check as a result of force marching and are still in the process of recovering (see the PHB, Chapter 14: Time and Movement, under Cross-Country Movement), they automatically begin the combat in a fatigued state rather than fresh. Fatigue points are consumed at the doubled rate and all the penalties for being fatigued (as well as the penalties for force marching) apply, until a state of exhaustion is reached. Furthermore, creatures cannot return to a fully fresh state during the battle; only the noncombat recovery period for force marching can remove this restriction.
==Morale==
The end of the round is also the time for morale checks. Remember, player characters never need to check morale; they're smart enough to know when to cut and run, and foolish enough not to run when they should. However, NPC allies or followers of the PCs may decide to abandon them if things go poorly.
Morale is discussed at length in the Dungeon Master Guide, so it won't be reiterated here. The DM is not required to make a morale roll every round; he can use his own judgment to decide when someone might be thinking of calling it a day. Some good guidelines of when monsters or NPCs might make morale checks:
* When surprised;
* When faced by an obviously superior enemy force;
* When an ally is slain by magic;
* When 25% of their group has fallen;
* When 50% of their group has fallen;
* When their leader deserts or is killed;
* When they are fighting an enemy that can't be hurt by their weapons;
* When they are offered a chance to surrender and they've already met one other
* condition for a morale check.
===Informal Morale Checks===
The DM can always just decide if a creature or NPC passes its morale check, without even rolling dice. The DM should be fair with this; it'll quickly annoy the players if their trusted henchmen run away through DM capriciousness at the first sign of trouble.
===Formal Morale Checks===
A formal morale check is a comparison of a 2d10 roll against the creature's base Morale rating, modified for the situation. An extensive list of modifiers appear on the DM Screen and under Morale in Chapter 9: Combat in the Dungeon Master Guide.
===Failing a Morale Check===
When a character or group of monsters fails a morale check, their first consideration is to get away from the fight. If they fail by a small margin (say, 1 or 2 on the die roll), they try to withdraw in good order. If they fail by a large margin, they break off the fight and flee for their lives. Intelligent creatures may try to surrender if there is no place for them to run, or if they think they won't be able to get away.
==Status==
This is a catch-all phrase for any condition or situation that may affect the actions next round. Did a character get knocked down during the fight? He'll start the next round prone. Generally, magical effects and continuing damage (poison, burning, acid, etc.) actually inflict their damage in this part of the combat round.
Category:Player's Option: Combat & Tactics