How Long is a Turn in D&D 5e?
Time is typically a loose concept in roleplaying games. Usually, we aren’t tracking seconds and minutes in-game. That is, until combat starts. Which begs the question - how long is a turn in DnD 5e?
Encounters in DnD slow down to a turn-based system to make combat easier to manage. Dungeons & Dragons has its nerdy roots deep in tactical simulation, and combat encounters are where they surface.
Generally, a full round of combat in DnD 5e lasts about 6 seconds in real-time. That means a minute would consist of 10 rounds, regardless of the number of combatants. Just think of “rolling for initiative” as going into “bullet-time,” where everything happens in slow motion.
What can you do in a turn in D&D combat?
During your 6-ish second window, you can move up to your movement speed and take one action unless otherwise specified. The order you do this is up to you, and you can break up your movement with an action.
What actions can you take in DnD combat?
Your action is the main thing you do during your turn - attack, cast a spell, dodge, disengage, help, hide, ready, search, sprint, or use an item. Some classes give you an extra action, like the Fighter’s Action Surge.
Attack
Making an attack requires you to roll against the target’s defenses, taking an action. The basic attack roll formula is 1d20 + [ability score modifier] + [proficiency bonus] + [item bonus]. Some classes, like Fighter, gain extra attacks as they level up.
Cast a Spell
Spells vary in their casting time, which is important to pay attention to in combat. Spellcasters can use their action to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action during their turn. Additionally, they can use their bonus action to cast a second spell.
Dash
Dashing gives you extra mobility for your turn by using your action to move up to your movement speed on top of your regular movement speed.
Disengage
This action lets you move away from enemies without provoking an attack opportunity against you. Depending on the action economy of the situation, this may or may not be the best action to take.
Dodge
Taking the dodge action imposes a disadvantage on all incoming attacks against you until your next turn. Dodging might not seem like a great use of your action on the surface, but it can be a powerful tool when used correctly.
Help
You can use your turn to assist one of your teammates using the Help action. Describe how you’re helping your ally to give them an advantage on their ability check. Note this could range from an attack roll to searching for a piece of information. Along with dodging, Help is circumstantial but valuable once mastered. Characters with familiars can use their Help to get an advantage on every turn!
Hide
Unless you’re a Rogue with Cunning Action, hiding in combat requires an action. Hiding doesn’t mean you become invisible - factors like the monsters’ perception and environmental factors could impact your hiding ability. Successful perception checks reveal any hidden nearby characters.
Ready
Readying an action lets you wait for an event before you act and use your reaction to act before the start of your next turn. Decide what circumstance will trigger your reaction, then choose the reaction to take in response. This could include attacking, casting a spell, dodging, or moving. When your trigger trips, you can choose to take your reaction after the trigger finishes or ignore it.
Search
You can also use your action to search the area using a Perception or Investigation check. This can reveal hidden characters, clues, or other helpful information. Like many of the other actions you can take in combat, this one is situational but offers huge payoffs when appropriately used.
Use Item
Using an item’s function, such as drinking a potion or throwing a grappling hook, requires an action.
Other Actions in D&D 5e
Bonus Actions
You can use a bonus action once per turn if your class specifies it. Bonus actions do not let you take “minor” or additional actions. Some classes let you take specific actions as bonus actions, like the Rogue’s Cunning Action - extremely useful for action economy, which we’ll discuss later. Wizards, Clerics, and other spellcasters can sometimes use their bonus actions to cast spells, as well.
Free Actions
You’re also able to speak briefly and interact with an object or feature during your move or action for free. Some examples would be a snarky taunt toward an enemy, opening a door before entering the next room, or drawing or changing your weapon during your attack. Some magic items and objects always require an action to use.
It’s the DMs prerogative to require an action for any free action when it requires extra care or presents more of a challenge to execute. A door that’s barred with a cross-beam might need an action with a strength check to open, for example.
Reactions
Reactions are an instant response to some kind of trigger. This can happen on your or another’s turn, and you only get one reaction per round. The most common type of reaction is the opportunity attack, which you get when an enemy combatant leaves your space. Reactions can also be special abilities, spells, or particular circumstances. Reactions that interrupt another’s turn can continue their turn after the reaction.
Action Economy
Action economy in DnD refers to the amount a character can do with their actions in a single turn. Looking at the game through this lens is purely mechanical, but it does give you insight into your character’s potential in combat.
As we’ve established above, every character has a finite amount of things they can do in a turn. The complete list of things they can do is their maximum potential. It’s important to note that some classes have more action economies than others. Bards, Clerics, and Rogues have quite a few options available to them even at low levels, for example.
Another critical factor to consider is how much combat makes up your campaign. Typically, combat is only about 25% of the game, so if you’re only optimizing for a quarter of the game, you might be missing out. A combat-focused class like the Barbarian comes to mind. But, we argue there are ways to create a Barbarian that’s compelling outside of combat.
Conclusion
Okay, so that’s a lot of information for what amounts to a very short amount of time in D&D. The important thing to remember during these 6-second rounds is to find a balance between what’s feasible. The reason combat is broken down this way is to keep things tactically organized, but you can always be fluid if that’s more important for your table.