Sometimes we want a tactical combat challenge for our players. A core technique of making encounters more tactical is thinking about monster roles: single words describing the tactical function of monsters, like artillery, controller, skirmisher, and brute.

Different monster roles

Different games use slightly different sets of monster roles. Overall, however, they all have the same six tactical functions, with additional special roles like solo and minions. Here’s an overview of roles in 4th Edition D&D, Forge of Foes, Flee Mortals!, and League of Legends. (Though a PvP game, League’s champion classes reflect similar tactical principles!)

Note: I’ve grouped some roles by similar tactics. League of Legends includes subroles (in brackets) which break down tactical differences further. Support is unique to Flee Mortals! but many of its tactical features are fulfilled by controllers in other publications

The simplest monster roles

Some roles seem to come up more often in combat encounters: artillery, controller, skirmisher, and brute are probably the most common in my games. And in fact, any combination of two of these can create unique challenges. For example, giant spider soldiers rush into melee while drow artillery attack from a distance.

To simplify further, every encounter can think about just melee and ranged monsters—frontline and backline roles. This two-role model is easy to improvise. Frontline monsters lock down characters in melee while backline monsters attack or support from afar.

Spice things up with terrain! Elevation and cover add depth. Picture spiders trapping the party in a chokepoint of webs while drow snipe from the ceiling!

What cool tactical challenges can you come up with using only frontline, backline, cover, and elevation?

The dial of tactics

Monster roles are just one tool in our DM kit. Use them flexibly! Some encounters run on story rather than tactics, while big set-piece battles might benefit from intricate role combinations. Monster roles (and tactics in general) are a dial we can adjust to suit the moment. Use monster roles to inspire your game!