Tactical Combat

The pathfinder RPG system does an excellent job of adding some additional rules which make combat feel much more tactical, interesting, and threatening.

That being said, I think there are situations where combat should be looser and more flexible, which the basic 5e system handles very well. So I distinguish between 2 combat encounters, a tactical encounter and a theatre of the mind encounter. In a tactical encounter, all enemies and players are placed on a grid with terrain. In a theatre of the mind encounter, we do not use a grid, and just maintain a rough mental note of the positions and state of the combat. Generally, random encounters while travelling are going to be theatre of the mind, and encounters in a dungeon or against powerful / important enemies will be tactical. It should go without saying, but all of these rules also apply to your enemies.

All tactical rules will be used in theatre of the mind encounters where possible, but because many of these rules depend on precise positioning, they may be disregarded or simplified for the sake of brevity.

Distance

On a square based grid, diagonals are a longer distance than straight line. Every other diagonal square in a line is treated as twice the distance of a standard diagonal square (generally 10ft compared to 5ft).

Movement Actions

These are actions which can be performed instead of your normal movement.

5ft step - You can use your movement action to take a 5ft step, which will not provoke an attack of opportunity, unless moving into difficult terrain.

Switching weapons - You can stow or draw a weapon as a movement action. If you have proficiency with a weapon, you may draw it as part of an attack action.

Equipping a Shield - Equipping a shield is a movement action. Readying a shield (i.e. pulling it off of your back) is also a movement action, but is considered a free action if you are proficient with shields.

Standing up from prone- Standing up from a prone position requires a move action and provokes attacks of opportunity.

Mounting or dismounting a steed - requires a movement action

Fighting Defensively

Fighting Defensively - When making the first attack roll on your turn, you may choose to take a -4 penalty on all attacks in the round in order to gain a +2 dodge bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn.

Full Round Actions

A full-round action requires an entire round to complete. Thus, it cannot be coupled with a standard or move action, though if it does not involve moving any distance, you can take a 5-foot step as part of the full round action. You may use a bonus action in addition to a full round action.

Full Attack - If you get multiple attacks from the extra attack feature, you must use a full round action to complete all attacks. If attacking using a standard action, you can make one less attack than you would normally be able to (minimum of one attack).

Two Weapon Fighting - Engaging in two weapon fighting requires a full attack, in addition to a bonus action for the offhand strike.

Withdrawal - A withdrawal can be considered a full round action roughly equivalent to a combined disengage and dash action. You can move double your speed, out of your current position without provoking attacks of opportunity, but if you move through a threatened square as part of your movement, you will still take attacks of opportunity.

Drinking a Potion in Melee - You may use a full round action to drink a potion in melee, as long as you have a free hand. This provokes an attack of opportunity.

Party Withdrawal - If the entire party decides to withdraw, and wishes to flee combat, the combat will immediately end, and a Skill Challenge will begin to escape should the enemies succeed on a morale check and decide to pursue.

Charging

Charging is a special full-round action that allows you to move up to twice your speed and attack during the action. Charging, however, carries tight restrictions on how you can move.

Moving on a charge

You must move before your attack, not after. You must move at least 10 feet (2 squares) and may move up to double your speed directly toward the designated opponent. If you move a distance equal to your speed or less, you can also draw a weapon you are proficient with during a charge attack.

You must have a clear path toward the opponent, and nothing can hinder your movement (such as difficult terrain or obstacles). You must move to the closest space from which you can attack the opponent. If this space is occupied or otherwise blocked, you can’t charge. If any line from your starting space to the ending space passes through a square that blocks movement, slows movement, or contains a creature (even an ally), you can’t charge. Helpless creatures don’t stop a charge.

If you don’t have line of sight to the opponent at the start of your turn, you can’t charge that opponent.

You can’t take a 5-foot step in the same round as a charge.

If you are able to take only a standard action on your turn, you can still charge, but you are only allowed to move up to your speed (instead of up to double your speed) and you cannot draw a weapon. You can’t use this option unless you are restricted to taking only a standard action on your turn.

Attacking on a charge

After moving, you may make a single melee attack. You get a +2 bonus on the attack roll and take a –2 penalty to your AC until the start of your next turn.

A charging character gets a +2 bonus on combat maneuver attack rolls made to bull rush an opponent.

Even if you have extra attacks, you only get to make one attack during a charge.

Lances and Charge Attacks: A lance deals double damage if employed by a mounted character in a charge.

Weapons Readied against a Charge: Spears, tridents, and other weapons with the brace feature deal double damage when readied (set) and used against a charging character.

Touch Attacks

Some attacks completely disregard armor, including shields and natural armor—the aggressor need only touch a foe for such an attack to take full effect. For example, plate armor should not help you against an Inflict Wounds spell. For such attacks, the roll is made against the target's Touch AC, which is their base AC ignoring bonuses from physical or natural armor. Generally speaking, any spell with a range of touch is considered a Touch Attack. Magical bonuses to armor which are not physical in nature (i.e. mage armor or a ring of protection) will increase your touch AC. Since 5e doesn't have a strict system for defining touch attacks, I'm flexible on ruling what is a touch attack if there is an argument to be made that physical armor will not help protect from it.

Attack Modifiers

There are some situations which make landing an attack more or less likely to succeed, but are not substantial enough to grant advantage or disadvantage.

Shooting into a melee - You take a -4 penalty to any ranged attack rolls made at a target engaged with an ally who is within 5 feet of them. If you have the sharpshooter ability, or spell sniper for magic, this penalty decreases to -2 as part of the ability to ignore cover.

Flanking bonus - You gain a +2 bonus to any melee attack made by a creature who is threatened by one of your allies on an opposite side. To determine which side is "opposite" for creatures occupying more than one space, check if a line drawn between you and your ally passes through any space occupied by the creature. Similarly, a creature occupying multiple spaces can use any of its spaces to determine a flanking bonus.

Movement Speed

Wearing heavy or medium armor decreases your movement speed by 10ft, to a minimum of 20ft. If you have the medium or heavy armor master feats, you ignore this penalty. Similarly, if you are wearing heavy armor, you can only cover 2/3 of the distance you could normally when travelling on foot.

Combat Maneuvers

Combat maneuvers consist of a number of options you can attempt to perform during combat, usually in place of an attack. Performing a combat maneuver usually provokes an attack of opportunity.

To determine the success of a combat maneuver, you make a roll adding your Combat Maneuver Bonus (CMB) against your target's Combat Maneuver Defense (CMD).

CMB = Proficiency + STR + Size Modifier

CMD = 10 + Proficiency + DEX + STR + Size Modifier + Misc

Misc modifiers include any bonuses to AC which could reasonably aid in resisting the maneuver (i.e. a dodge bonus from defensive fighting or unarmored defense bonuses). Size Modifier is equal to: Tiny –2, Small –1, Medium +0, Large +1, Huge +2, Gargantuan +4, Colossal +8.

If you do not have a fighting style, the Martial Arts class feature, the Extra Attack feature, or the Rage class feature, you roll at disadvantage when performing a combat maneuver. Additionally, if you have the Martial Arts class feature, you may use DEX instead of STR when determing your CMB.

Fighters of the Battle Master subclass, or characters with the Martial Adept feat gain additional benefits when performing combat maneuvers. They can expend one superiority die to negate the opportunity attack from performing a maneuver, or, they may expend a superiority die and add it to their CMB roll. You may make this deciscion after the GM determines if the maneuver succeeds or fails. Additionally, when targeted by a combat maneuver, they may expend a superiority die and add it to their CMD.

Fighters of the Champion subclass can add double their proficiency bonus to their CMB and CMD.

While raging, a Barbarian can add its CON to its CMB.

Rolling a natural 20 for a combat maneuver is a guaranteed success, while rolling a natural 1 is a guarunteed failure.

Combat Maneuvers

Bull Rush

You can make a bull rush as a standard action or as part of a charge, in place of the melee attack. You can only bull rush an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you. A bull rush attempts to push an opponent straight back without doing any harm. If you do not have the Improved Bull Rush feat, or a similar ability, initiating a bull rush provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.

If your attack is successful, your target is pushed back 5 feet. For every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD you can push the target back an additional 5 feet. You can move with the target if you wish but you must have the available movement to do so. If your attack fails, your movement ends in front of the target.

An enemy being moved by a bull rush does not provoke an attack of opportunity because of the movement unless you possess the Greater Bull Rush feat. You cannot bull rush a creature into a square that is occupied by a solid object or obstacle. If there is another creature in the way of your bull rush, you must immediately make a combat maneuver check to bull rush that creature. You take a –4 penalty on this check for each creature being pushed beyond the first. If you are successful, you can continue to push the creatures a distance equal to the lesser result. For example, if a fighter bull rushes a goblin for a total of 15 feet, but there is another goblin 5 feet behind the first, the fighter must make another combat maneuver check against the second goblin after having pushed the first 5 feet. If the fighter's check reveals that he can push the second goblin a total of 20 feet, the fighter can continue to push both goblins another 10 feet (since the first goblin will have moved a total of 15 feet).

Dirty Trick

You can attempt to hinder a foe in melee as a standard action. This maneuver covers any sort of situational attack that imposes a penalty on a foe for a short period of time. The GM is the arbiter of what can be accomplished with this maneuver, but it cannot be used to impose a permanent penalty, and the results can be undone if the target spends a move action. If you do not have the Improved Dirty Trick feat or a similar ability, attempting a dirty trick provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.

If your attack is successful, the target takes a penalty. The penalty is limited to one of the following conditions:

blinded, dazzled, deafened, entangled, shaken, or sickened.

This condition lasts for 1 round. For every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD, the penalty lasts 1 additional round. This penalty can usually be removed if the target spends a move action. If you possess the Greater Dirty Trick feat, the penalty lasts for 1d4 rounds, plus 1 round for every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD. In addition, removing the condition requires the target to spend a standard action.

Disarm

You can attempt to disarm your opponent in place of a melee attack. If you do not have the Improved Disarm feat, or a similar ability, attempting to disarm a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver. Attempting to disarm a foe while unarmed imposes a –4 penalty on the attack.

If your attack is successful, your target drops one item it is carrying of your choice (even if the item is wielded with two hands). If your attack exceeds the CMD of the target by 10 or more, the target drops the items it is carrying in both hands (maximum two items if the target has more than two hands). If your attack fails by 10 or more, you drop the weapon that you were using to attempt the disarm. If you successfully disarm your opponent without using a weapon, you may automatically pick up the item dropped.

Drag

You can attempt to drag a foe as a standard action. You can only drag an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you. The aim of this maneuver is to drag a foe in a straight line behind you without doing any harm. If you do not have the Improved Drag feat or a similar ability, initiating a drag provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.

If your attack is successful, both you and your target are moved 5 feet back, with your opponent occupying your original space and you in the space behind that in a straight line. For every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD, you can drag the target back an additional 5 feet. You must be able to move with the target to perform this maneuver. If you do not have enough movement, the drag goes to the maximum amount of movement available to you and ends.

An enemy being moved by a drag does not provoke an attack of opportunity because of the movement unless you possess the Greater Drag feat. You cannot move a creature into a square that is occupied by a solid object or obstacle. If there is another creature in the way of your movement, the drag ends adjacent to that creature.

Overrun

As a standard action, taken during your move or as part of a charge, you can attempt to overrun your target, moving through its square. You can only overrun an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you. If you do not have the Improved Overrun feat, or a similar ability, initiating an overrun provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver. If your overrun attempt fails, you stop in the space directly in front of the opponent, or the nearest open space in front of the creature if there are other creatures occupying that space.

When you attempt to overrun a target, it can choose to avoid you, allowing you to pass through its square without requiring an attack. If your target does not avoid you, make a combat maneuver check as normal. If your maneuver is successful, you move through the target’s space. If your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD by 5 or more, you move through the target’s space and the target is knocked prone. If the target has more than two legs, add +2 to the DC of the combat maneuver attack roll for each additional leg it has.

Reposition

You can attempt to reposition a foe to a different location as a standard action. You can only reposition an opponent that is no more than one size category larger than you. A reposition attempts to force a foe to move to a different position in relation to your location without doing any harm. If you do not have the Improved Reposition feat or a similar ability, attempting to reposition a foe provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver. You cannot use this maneuver to move a foe into a space that is intrinsically dangerous, such as a pit or wall of fire. If your attack is successful, you may move your target 5 feet to a new location. For every 5 by which your attack exceeds your opponent’s CMD, you can move the target an additional 5 feet. The target must remain within your reach at all times during this movement, except for the final 5 feet of movement, which can be to a space adjacent to your reach.

An enemy being moved by a reposition does not provoke an attack of opportunity because of the movement unless you possess the Greater Reposition feat. You cannot move a creature into a square that is occupied by a solid object or obstacle.

Steal

You can attempt to take an item from a foe as a standard action. This maneuver can be used in melee to take any item that is neither held nor hidden in a bag or pack. You must have at least one hand free (holding nothing) to attempt this maneuver. You must select the item to be taken before the check is made. Items that are simply tucked into a belt or loosely attached (such as brooches or necklaces) are the easiest to take. Items fastened to a foe (such as cloaks, sheathed weapons, or pouches) are more difficult to take, and give the opponent a +5 bonus (or greater) to his CMD. Items that are closely worn (such as armor, backpacks, boots, clothing, or rings) cannot be taken with this maneuver. Items held in the hands (such as wielded weapons or wands) also cannot be taken with the steal maneuver—you must use the disarm combat maneuver instead. The GM is the final arbiter of what items can be taken. If you do not have the Improved Steal feat or a similar ability, attempting to steal an object provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.

Although this maneuver can only be performed if the target is within your reach, you can use a whip to steal an object from a target within range with a –4 penalty on the attack roll.

If your attack is successful, you may take one item from your opponent. You must be able to reach the item to be taken (subject to GM discretion). Your enemy is immediately aware of this theft unless you possess the Greater Steal feat.

Sunder

You can attempt to sunder an item held or worn by your opponent in place of a melee attack in place of a melee attack. If you do not have the Improved Sunder feat, or a similar ability, attempting to sunder an item provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.

If your attack is successful, you deal damage to the item normally. Damage that exceeds the object’s Hardness is subtracted from its hit points. If an object has equal to or less than half its total hit points remaining, it gains the broken condition. If the damage you deal would reduce the object to less than 0 hit points, you can choose to destroy it. If you do not choose to destroy it, the object is left with only 1 hit point and the broken condition.

Trip

You can attempt to trip your opponent in place of a melee attack. You can only trip an opponent who is no more than one size category larger than you. If you do not have the Improved Trip feat, or a similar ability, initiating a trip provokes an attack of opportunity from the target of your maneuver.

If your attack exceeds the target’s CMD, the target is knocked prone. If your attack fails by 10 or more, you are knocked prone instead. If the target has more than two legs, add +2 to the DC of the combat maneuver attack roll for each additional leg it has. Some creatures (especially those immune to the prone condition)—such as oozes, creatures without legs, and flying creatures—cannot be tripped.

Feint

Feinting is a standard action. To feint, make a Deception skill check. The DC of this check is equal to 10 + your opponent’s proficiency bonus + your opponent’s Wisdom modifier. If your opponent is proficient in insight, the DC is instead equal to 10 + your opponent’s insight bonus, if higher. If successful, the next melee attack you make against the target does not allow them to use their Dexterity bonus to AC (if any). This attack must be made on or before your next turn.

When feinting against a non-humanoid you take a –4 penalty. Against a creature of animal Intelligence (1 or 2), you take a –8 penalty. Against a creature lacking an Intelligence score, it’s impossible. Feinting in combat does not provoke attacks of opportunity.

Weapon Traits

D&D 5e has a terrible game system for different weapon types, and many weapons have absolutely no difference compared to others when used in combat. Pathfinder fixes this with combat maneuvers, weapon traits, and critical damage modifiers. There is an exorbitant list of weapons in pathfinder which I am not going to format and include on this page, but you can see the list here: https://www.d20pfsrd.com/equipment/weapons/. If there is a pathfinder weapon that is roughly equivalent in cost and damage to a 5e weapon you would normally start with, feel free to replace it in your starting gear. Assume all pathfinder weapons are medium sized (the damage(m) column), weapon size seems like a needlessly complex detail to me. I've included an updated list of 5e weapons which I think should have certain traits from pathfinder, assume any blank cells remain unchanged from 5e: