During the recent ItDR Questionnaire, some respondents reported a somewhat challenging nature of Ganging Up rule of "Into the Dungeon: Revived". Let's see if its wording can be improved while keeping the rule pithy and straightforward.

Here is the current wording of the Attacking and Ganging Up rules:

Attacking

Roll your weapon’s Damage die, or for both weapons if wielding two, along with any bonus Damage dice you have. The highest single roll is identified, and the attack causes this much Damage.

Ranged weapons cannot be used while engaged in melee combat.

Ganging Up

When multiple attackers target an individual, they roll together and keep the highest result, plus 1 point of Damage for each additional attacker, up to +5. Once the attack has been resolved, the target cannot be attacked again until their next turn.

When some of these attacks directly target Ability Scores, they are grouped together by Ability Score targeted and resolved by the same Ganging Up rule, separately from normal attacks.

Ganging Up: Easy Mode (optional)

For a more “cinematic” combat feel, you may forgo bonus Damage from additional attackers.

ItDR, p.8

So, from here we can extract the essential points:

1. When characters make an attack, they roll all of their Damage dice allowed by the rules and identify the highest value among them, dealing this much Damage to the target.
2. When multiple characters attack the same target, the highest Damage value is identified among them in a similar way to determine how much Damage the target receives this turn.
3. Additionally, for each additional attacker, the target takes +1 Damage, but no more than +5. In other words, each attacker above 6 will not grant the +1 bonus (but may potentially increase the Damage value by rolling the highest number among all attackers).
4. The target cannot take Damage again until their next turn. (This also means, that the best way to conduct a combat round is to ask everyone whom they are attacking and only afterwards roll the Damage dice, grouped by target that receives the Damage.)
5. Special attacks targeting Ability Scores (from Spells, magic items, monsters, etc.) are grouped in the same manner. (In actuality, this special case happens quite rarely, but it is surely better to keep it covered.)
6. Optionally, the Referee may decide to forgo bonus Damage from additional attackers (see point 3), lessening the impact of multiple attackers focusing on a single target.

Now, let's see if I can express this rule in a simpler way.

Ganging Up

Each target can take a single die of Damage in a turn.

When multiple attackers choose the same target, they roll together and keep the highest result, plus 1 point of Damage for each additional attacker, up to +5. Once the attack has been resolved, the target cannot be attacked again until their next turn.

Attacks that reduce Ability Scores are grouped together by the Ability Score and resolved the same way, separate from normal attacks.

What do you think? Which wording do you think is better? Do you have a better idea? If so, let me know!

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