That Goblin Fight Broke Me
Was getting my butt kicked in the Goblin Camp again. My fighter dude just stood there like a dummy after swinging his big sword once, watching those little green jerks swarm everyone else. God that sucked. Kept reloading the save, feeling super stuck. Remembered seeing something about “Action Surge” in the class stuff but never really clicked.
Said screw it, gonna actually try Action Surge next time. Respecced real quick at camp, made sure it was picked for my human fighter. Headed back into that messy camp fight. Heart pounding, hoping this wasn’t just another waste of time.
Just Pressed the Button
Round one, my fighter charges the boss goblin near the drums. Swings his greatsword… misses. Ugh. Feeling that familiar frustration bubbling up. Then I saw the little icon light up above his portrait – the Action Surge button. Didn’t overthink it, just clicked it fast.
Boom. My guy immediately got that glowy energy zap look. Suddenly, I could tell him to swing AGAIN right then! He connected hard that second hit, knocked that ugly boss down. Then, because the Surge gives you a whole new Action? I still had movement left! Shoved another goblin off the damn cliff nearby. Whole thing took maybe three seconds. Cleared space around him instantly.
What actually worked:
- Instantly getting that second big attack when I really needed to down something fast.
- Using the movement freedom afterwards to reposition – stepped away from the crowd.
- Fixing my stupid mistake – missed my first swing? No big deal, got a do-over.
Got Sneaky with My Ranger Too
Okay, feeling cocky now. Thought, why not slap it on my ranger gal next? Found a big gnoll pack on the road. Hidden up high with her bow. First shot takes one down. Instead of ending her turn hiding again, used Action Surge. Fired another arrow, critted a second gnoll. Still hidden? Got to hide again as a bonus action afterward. They had no clue where she was! Two kills before they even got close. Easy win.
Proving it worked good here:
- Doubled the pain from stealth – two powerful shots before revealing herself.
- Kept her safe because she could vanish right after that second shot.
- Maximized her surprise turn way more than just one shot would.
Stop Holding It Back
Biggest lesson? Was saving it like a dumb potion I’d never use. “Oh, might need it later.” Nope. Saw way better results using it EARLY and OFTEN. That first big hit didn’t kill? Surge and whack again. Needed to grab an important item while everyone’s distracted? Surge lets you dash over, grab it, then dash back! Missed a crucial spell? Surge lets you try casting it again right away. Seriously flexible.
Bottom line now:
- Hit the button early in fights, when it can flip the momentum.
- Don’t hoard it for perfect moments – good moments are perfect enough.
- Works on ANY class action – attack, spell, dash, drink a potion… all fair game.
Honestly, felt like I unlocked a cheat code I forgot I had. Turned my slow tank fighter from a one-trick into someone who could actually change the fight in a single burst. Ranger became a sneakier assassin. Literally made me survive fights I was ready to quit on. So yeah… if you got it? Slap it on your bar and start smashing it. See? Easy win.