I think I finally figured out why I am so frustrated with 5E combat. It’s not just because the PCs are essentially the Avengers (see my last post here). It’s that I was thinking about power levels completely wrong.

In older systems, characters were judged by their Level. When a 20th-level Wizard dropped in, people scattered. While that’s still true on paper in 5E, it’s not the LEVEL that matters anymore. It’s the number of actions.

Combat is a headache for me because the PCs almost always have more "stuff" to do than the monsters. I might get a claw and a bite, but they get a multi-attack, a bonus action, and a free attack based on their class. Throw in a familiar or a conjured helper, and the players have total freedom of movement while my "army" is a laughing stock.

From now on, I’m building encounters based on Monsters with more actions, not necessarily more HP. Priority one is action economy and movement; priority two is scary damage. Make them earn that fight.

The Research: How the 2024 Rules Support the "Action" Theory

While the official 2024 rules still strictly use Level and XP to rate power , the underlying mechanics heavily prioritize Action Economy—regulating exactly how many things a character can do in a single turn.

1. The Official Metric vs. Tactical Reality

The 2024 Dungeon Master’s Guide still sticks to Level and XP for encounter "budgets". However, the rules implicitly admit that "having an action" is the most valuable currency in the game.

• Surprise Overhaul: In 2014, Surprise robbed you of your entire turn. In 2024, it just gives Disadvantage on Initiative. The designers realized that denying a character their actions was simply too powerful to be left to a single check.

2. 2024 Mechanics "Compress" Actions

High-level characters are now rated by their ability to "cheat" the standard limit of one Action and one Bonus Action.

• Weapon Mastery (Nick & Cleave): The Nick property allows a dual-wielder to make an off-hand attack as part of the main Attack Action, completely freeing up their Bonus Action. Cleave grants a free extra attack against a second target. Both increase the "number of actions" without costing a single resource.

• The Potion Buff: Drinking a potion is now a Bonus Action. This lets a PC heal and still attack or cast a spell in the same turn, doubling their turn efficiency.

• Fluid Object Interactions: You can now draw or stow a weapon as part of each attack in an Attack Action. No more "wasted" turns just trying to swap gear.

3. Restricting "Nova" Actions

To prevent the game from breaking, the 2024 rules specifically restricted how many magical actions a character can take.

• Action Surge Nerf: A Fighter's Action Surge can no longer be used for the Magic Action. This prevents high-level casters from "dipping" into Fighter to cast two leveled spells in one turn, directly curbing the output of magical actions.

• One Spell Slot Per Turn: You are now generally limited to casting only one spell with a spell slot per turn.

4. Encounter Math Changes

The new encounter-building rules removed the "multiplier" for having multiple monsters. This suggests the designers believe the new PC abilities—like Weapon Mastery and streamlined summoning—allow characters to handle more enemy actions more efficiently than ever before.

Summary for DMs

A character who can take 3 effective actions (Attack + Nick Attack + Potion) is significantly stronger than one who can only take 1, regardless of their Level. If you want a real challenge, stop looking at the XP budget and start counting effective actions per turn (Attacks + Bonus Action utility + Reaction availability).

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Based on the 2024 updates and the tactical shifts seen in the new system, here are the types of monsters that dominate the action economy and battlefield movement:

Monsters with High Action Density

• Dragons (Redesigned): In the 2024 framework, legendary creatures like Dragons are designed to be "Action Engines". Beyond their Multiattack, they utilize Legendary Actions and Lair Actions to act outside of their own initiative, effectively giving them 3 to 4 "turns" for every one turn a player takes.

• The New "Strikers": The 2024 rules introduce a "Monster Roles" system, where creatures designated as Strikers are built specifically to output a high volume of attacks and move quickly to avoid being pinned down by player Reactions.

• Spell-Like Ability Users: High-CR monsters have shifted away from traditional spellcasting to spell-like abilities. This allows them to use powerful effects (like teleports or blasts) that often function as Bonus Actions or are integrated into their Multiattack, preventing them from being shut down by a single Counterspell.

Monsters with Extreme Freedom of Movement

• Teleporting Predators (e.g., Phase Spiders or Displacer Beasts): The 2024 rules emphasize "freedom of movement" to bypass player "tractor beams" like the Telekinetic feat. Expect more creatures to have short-range teleports as part of their movement or a Bonus Action, similar to the player’s Fey Step.

• High-Speed Flankers: Creatures like the Goliath (now a pushed "PC-adjacent" race in power level) reflect a shift where monsters have speeds of 35 to 45 feet and can grow Large to increase their reach and area control.

• Amorphous and Nimble Scouts: To counter the new Grappling and Shoving rules—which now use a fixed Save DC (8 + Strength + Proficiency) rather than a contested roll—new monsters are being designed with the ability to automatically escape grapples or move through narrow spaces without penalty.

Tactical Workarounds for DMs

If you want to challenge your "Avengers" party using the 2024 rules, look for monsters that utilize these specific mechanics:

MechanicImpact on the Action EconomyReactive Traits

Allows the monster to take more than one Reaction per round, effectively countering the players' "Reaction Overload".

Emanations

Similar to player spells like Spirit Guardians, these monsters deal damage or cause effects just by moving near players, maximizing the value of their movement.

Legendary Resistance

Reworked in some 2024 versions (like the Fighter's Indomitable) to act as a guaranteed success, ensuring the monster doesn't lose its turn to "Save or Suck" spells.

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