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To me, combat is a plot device and not something I give a whole lot of thought; When assassins attack, I'm much more interested in "Why" than "How".

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This is something of a mistake; both 'why' and 'how' are important, but at different times.

During the attack, the 'how' is central, and the 'why' is unimportant. After the threat has passed, then 'why' becomes an issue.

Imagine an action movie with terrible fight scenes. (OK, that's not too hard to imagine) Yes, the plot and acting are a big part of what's going on, but action sequences are important too.

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How do I make a fight interesting? How do I make the enemies interesting to fight, how do I add spice to the environment, and how should I plan combat beforehand?
How do I make fighting more fun?

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Well, let's try to identify some of the things that make fighting less fun...
1.) A fight is less fun when monsters and PCs stand next to each other and make full attack actions to deal damage.
2.) A fight is less fun when opponents attack all from the same direction, in the same way, without clever tactics.
3.) A fight is less fun when the fight occurs (or could have occurred) in a sterile, 20' x 20' room.

So lets try to identify some things that deal with these issues...

1.) If a monster has a feat with combat applications (Awesome Blow, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Disarm, Improved Sunder, Improved Trip, Spring Attack) then the monster should use those options at least once. But more than that, when planning the combat, you should plan it considering how those moves might best benefit the monster. Improved Bull Rush works best if there's a point to pushing someone around. Trample works best if there's room enough to trample someone and keep moving. Tripping an opponent works best if you've got allies nearby to all exploit the Attack of Opportunity provoked by getting up. Nothing helps a monster with DR like successfully Sundering a PCs weapon.

2.) Not every encounter should be an ambush, but some can be. Some encounters should give the PCs the chance to ambush. Not all the monsters in a fight need to be present at the beginning of a fight. If the fight is meant to have three Owlbears, instead of using all three, have one show up in round 1, another appear in round 2, and a third appear in round 4.

3.) The DMG has rules for running uphill, moving over uneven terrain, moving over slippery terrain, exteme heat, extreme winds, and more. There are several skills (climb, jump, balance) that can be used in combat. Not every combat should be on the tilting deck of a ship, or requiring running up an incline so steep it needs a Climb check, but some can. Putting rough terrain between the PCs and archers firing at them prevents the PCs from charging; having the archers retreat back behind lines of traps makes the 2nd PCs to advance more cautious and careful.


Not every fight needs this kind of planning and effort. But when the action is meant to be dramatic, the extra steps and research can make a huge difference.

When the PCs are fighting the kobold sorcerers on a snowy slope, the reduced visibility and concealment is all the work you need to do. (Sorcerers so they can use true strike with their poisoned crossbows!)

When the PCs fight the White Dragon overlord, that merits more work. Put the fight on a frozen lake. (slippery surface slows movement and requires Balance checks) Midway through the battle, the dragon dives through the ice, shattering the surface and leaving the PCs floating on chunks of ice, having to jump between little iceburgs. As a follow-up, the dragon breathes over the water, trapping any swimming PCs either under the surface, or midway through a sheet of ice. (3 points of cold damage creates 1" of ice in water)

Now, if I were running the above battle, my notes would include things like the Balance DC, the Jump DCs I wanted to use, the 3 cold damage = 1" ice rule, and so on.