Brainstorm: Art of War; A combat handbook

[CrazyCrab]

Hi everyone, I've had a new supplement in mind, as I have noticed that many DMs, especially new ones, end up with fights that quickly turn into 'punch, punch, get punched, win or lose'. Just attack rolls, no strategy or tactics involved.

Don't get me wrong, it's still fun, but I feel like more fleshed out encounters are just so much more interesting when you have all kinds of options to choose from.
So, I've been thinking, how about a 'quick encounter building' booklet? Where you choose a setting, roll a bunch of dice to create terrain features, some hazards or opportunities and occasionally bizarre environmental effects?

I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on this.

What I've planned to include so far...
- Interesting terrain tables, with cliffs, roofs and holes. A surprising amount of encounters takes place on just a flat table.
- Hazards! A ton of hazards. Poodles of slime, and everyone's favorite red barrels. Can't have a game without red barrels.
- Weather and mystic auras. In some places all fire spells cause extra damage and set things on fire. In some other places, they turn into steam immediately.

[Ninja_Prawn]

I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions on this.

That sounds like a cool project. Have you read the Angry DM's Kickass Combats (http://theangrygm.com/the-angry-guide-to-akicking-combats-part-1-picking-your-enemies/) series? It is quite relevant to what you're trying to do.