Rounds & Turns - Time in Combat ⏳

In Dungeons & Dragons 5.5e, combat is broken down into rounds and turns. This structure ensures that every player and creature gets a fair shot at glory (or ruin).

📚 Quick Reference

• What is a Round?
• What is a Turn?
• Ready Action / Holding Your Turn
• Banking Your Turn?
• Summary of a Turn

🕒 What is a Round?

• A round represents 6 seconds of in-game time.
• During a round, every creature in combat gets one turn, in order of initiative.
• A round continues until everyone has taken a turn.

So even if combat takes 20 minutes at the table, only 6 seconds have passed in the game world.

🔁 What is a Turn?

A turn is your personal moment in the spotlight — a small window inside the round where you get to act.

During your turn, you can perform the following:

🎬 1. One Action

This is your main move. Examples include:

• Attack (swing a weapon or cast an attack spell)
• Dash (move again up to your speed)
• Disengage (move without provoking attacks)
• Dodge (focus on defense, attackers have disadvantage)
• Help (assist an ally with their next action)
• Use an Object (pull a lever, open a door)
• Search (look for something hidden)
• Ready an Action (more below)

⚡ 2. One Bonus Action

Bonus actions are swift and special — usually granted by your class, feats, or spells.

Examples:

• Rogues can Cunning Action (Dash/Disengage/Hide)
• Bards can use Inspiration
• Spiritual Weapon lets you attack as a bonus action

You can only use a Bonus Action if something grants you one.

🛡️ 3. One Reaction (per round)

A Reaction happens outside your turn — triggered by specific events.

Examples:

• Opportunity Attack: when a creature leaves your reach
• Shield spell: cast in response to being hit
• Counterspell: used when someone casts a spell near you

You only get one Reaction per round, even if many triggers happen.

🎁 4. Free Actions

These are little things that don’t consume your Action economy.
Grav's version of “eye contact while undressing.”

Examples:

• Speaking a sentence
• Drawing or sheathing a weapon (once)
• Dropping an item
• Turning to face someone dramatically

🕳️ Ready Action / Holding Your Turn

Want to act after someone else? Use the Ready action:

1. Choose a trigger (e.g., “I attack if the orc charges me”)
2. Choose an action to perform
3. You burn your Action now and respond as a Reaction later

If the trigger doesn’t happen, your action is lost.

🔄 Banking Your Turn?

Officially, you cannot delay your turn (like in older editions).
You must act when your initiative comes up.

However, you can use Ready, or ask your DM to house-rule turn delay if they’re into that kind of flexible foreplay.

🔚 Summary of a Turn

💡 Each creature only gets one turn per round. Bonus Actions and Reactions follow special timing rules and must be granted or triggered by abilities, spells, or events.